However, it didn’t take long to realize that my expectations of 40 were very different from the reality of turning what many consider middle aged. Whether it was a close friend or a random company marketing their age-defying product, I was inundated with unsolicited advice and advertisements about how to combat the “awful” aging process. As if turning 40 meant I was now old and should go ahead and accept that it will be “all downhill from here.” Thanks to advancements in technology, there is something bigger and better hitting the market what feels like every day. This feeds into the distorted sense of reality that once someone or something reaches a certain age, it is somehow no longer useful and should be replaced immediately with a new and improved model.
We see examples of this every day. No sooner have you mastered the complexities of a piece of high-tech medical equipment and the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) releases an upgraded model with more bells and whistles. This makes the previous “older” model obsolete, along with the time and money invested in what is now deemed useless equipment. When we make any kind of purchase nowadays, be it something small like groceries for your home or a large capital investment for your business, we are told of its “recommended shelf life” or “useful life cycle” almost immediately. We are flooded with the usual catch phrases from the manufacturer warning us of the “Sell by” or “Best if used by” dates and “End-of-Support” (EOS) or “End-of-Life” (EOL) life dates. These notifications are easy to make sense of when dealing with perishables but can be a bit trickier to decipher when dealing with equipment like computer systems or medical equipment.
EOL Doesn’t Always Mean End of the Line
It is no wonder healthcare organizations shutter at the financial ramifications once they receive notification from an OEM that their equipment is getting close to an EOL situation. Once the announcement has been given, the OEM typically begins to phase out support for parts and service in stages. They eventually render the equipment useless and the only other choice is to purchase the newer, more expensive model supported by the OEM.
However, the end of life notice from the OEM is not always the end of the line for your equipment. The reality is there may be other options available that you’ll want to consider before getting rid of the equipment you have and rushing out to buy the upgraded model. Researching these options first could give you a good chance of keeping what you have in place by extending the life cycle and even save you money in the end.
The first option is to consider finding an Independent Service Organization (ISO) in your area. ISO’s are certified technicians that often used to work for the OEM but decided to venture out on their own. They have the required expertise to provide quality service and access to parts for make and model systems no longer supported by the OEM and often at a lower cost.
Routine maintenance is often the best course of action to keep your older equipment running longer. So the second option to consider is implementing an Equipment Maintenance Management Program (EMMP) to manage your equipment portfolio. Aging equipment does not equate useless equipment if the right maintenance plan is in place. EMMP’s can also work with ISO’s to keep your equipment healthy, reduce the chances of equipment breakdowns, and help extend the life cycle of your aging equipment, which ultimately effects a company’s bottom line.
Most people’s expectations are not constructed in reality, but instead in their perceptions of reality perpetuated by the consumer driven world we now find ourselves in where aging equates to uselessness. In today’s environment where the impetus is placed on the newest and greatest models, determining when a piece of equipment has reached the end of its useful cycle can be costly if not looked at in the proper perspective of what is best for your company. Research your options carefully to protect your investments and your company’s bottom line. Jules Renard said it best, “It’s not how old you are, it’s how you are old.” The key to knowing when equipment has actually reached, or getting close to the end of its useful life cycle is not the age of the equipment, but its performance that is most vital.
Christi Peters is a Business Development Coordinator at Remi, the alternative to manufacturer service contracts and extended warranties. Remi helps hospital and other healthcare facilities streamline their equipment maintenance by replacing existing manufacturer agreements with one cost-effective program. We put you back in control of your maintenance expenditures and allow you to focus on patient care. To learn more about Remi and the services they provide, visit www.theremigroup.com, call 1-888-451-8916 #1, or check out their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TheRemiGroup.
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