RTLS 2019
Exploring Attainable Outcomes with Deep Adopters

Compared to other vendors’ customer bases, AiRISTA Flow and Cerner customers report the fewest RTLS use cases and have the lowest satisfaction. No deep adopters of either vendor mention receiving collaboration or guidance to drive outcomes. AiRISTA Flow customers feel product development has stagnated since the vendor acquired Ekahau’s RTLS assets. Many report data-accuracy issues, poor integration, and inadequate support. Cerner customers struggle with inadequate reporting, upgrade issues, integration problems, and a lack of accurate data. Also, respondents find it difficult to receive timely, responsive service, and some say they have to pay extra to get the help they need.

Best Practices from Deep Adopters

71% 

Formalize Departmental Ownership, Collaboration, and Resources:

To avoid poor buy-in and unclear ownership, involve the right stakeholders up front, including technical experts, clinical experts, nursing leadership, and IT support. These stakeholders should collaborate early on to determine how the organization can execute their vision and obtain employee buy-in. And while getting financial buy-in for dedicated RTLS resources is a big challenge, having people assigned to ongoing tasks like battery management, RTLS infrastructure support, and solution updates is key to success.

71% 

Early On, Plan Use Cases and How They'll Drive Outcomes:

Because of the broad number of ways RTLS technology can be used, successful organizations need to clearly define the outcomes they want to achieve, the use cases they will leverage, and how those use cases will drive desired outcomes. This includes planning how to integrate the RTLS solution with existing workflows and other software solutions to achieve improved efficiency, cost savings, and other outcomes. This provides a solid foundation for further optimization and expansion of RTLS use.

51% 

Establish RTLS Use and Maintenance Processes:

Logistical headaches can be avoided if organizations establish processes for maintaining and using their RTLS solutions. Maintenance processes include battery replacements, badge and tag ordering, and general equipment maintenance. Organizations should also determine standards for what items should be tagged.

51% 

Leverage RTLS Vendor Expertise:

An engaged and knowledgeable vendor partner can provide much-needed guidance and support as organizations move forward with their RTLS initiatives. This may include helping organizations figure out how to achieve their vision or set up needed integration with other systems. Two-way collaboration with a trusted vendor partner can lead to ongoing outcomes and continued innovation.

37% 

Use RTLS Data to Keep Improving Processes:

Organizations who want to take their RTLS outcomes to the next level should use the wealth of data from their technology to assess workflows and processes and then make specific process changes to lower costs and improve efficiency, among other outcomes. While even a basic implementation of an RTLS solution can lead to some outcomes, more impactful outcomes require analyzing data, making changes, and continuing to follow up on progress.