When should I order equipment for my procedure room? C-Arm, Table, Monitor & etc…

One of the often asked question is ‘When should I order equipment?  I’m not opening for another 2~3 months!’

The EASY answer is as soon as possible.

If your construction has begun, it’s time to make the next big decision, imaging equipment solution.  And here’s why: (& what’s the process if I wait till 3 weeks before the opening at the end of this post)

C-Arm.
If you’re getting a Brand New C-Arm, your lead time might be faster than refurbished ones, especially if the model you want is in stock.  But even with new systems here are typical things that takes time:

• Before we can ship out C-Arms, all systems must be tested & prepped.
• Shipping can take up to 2 weeks due to special way we handle these + to arrange full service delivery.
• Our trainers are typically booked 3~4 weeks in advance for installation & training.
• Inventory of different models we carry go in and out all the time, but once it’s out, we’re waiting on next batch which is scheduled every 45-60 days.
• Typically given 45-60 days, we can guarantee that we’ll get the specific model you want at the time you need.

Getting Refurbished C-Arm?  In most cases, refurbishing companies won’t start the refurbishing process until it’s been sold.  This is mainly due to the fact that sometimes system can be sold without full refurbishing and since there’s no way to un-refurbish, most companies will wait.  Refurbishing process can take 4~6 weeks given everything goes smoothly.  We typically say refurbished C-Arm lead time is 60 days.

Table.
Popular manufacturer such as Oakworks makes their table to order because they have so many different models.  And their typical manufacturing & delivery time is 6~8 weeks.  If you need it sooner, more often than not, you’ll need to pay a rush fee.

Physicist Report.
Next thing to do is schedule physicist report/planning for your procedure room & get rolls of lead sheets to be installed.  You can get this process going as soon as walls are up.  This process takes few weeks for the report, ordering lead & having your contractor install the lead sheets onto the wall.

Misc. Equipment.
Carts, Cabinets, Patient Monitors & etc., unless you plan on buying all NEW off the shelf, these typically require 4~6 weeks for refurbishing process.  And to get the specs & colors you want, it often takes a bit longer. (Do you want matching example tables?)  These can be ordered after C-Arm & C-Arm Table but not too far behind.

Delivery.
When purchasing major equipment like this, it’s important to make sure your vendor can hold the equipment for you until you are ready.  That’s common sense, especially if you’re ordering them in advance because you’re a planner.  This goes for table & all other equipment as well.  Also, all warrantees should NOT start until it’s delivered to you.

Financing.
Financing is it’s own beast and will be covered on a separate post.  But this process can also take a week or longer if there’s any hiccups.  Although if you have good credit and no serious issues in the past, a true bank should be able to approve you within 1 business day typically.

Image by Sira Anamwong at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

All so familiar We’re opening in 2~3 weeks scenario.

I don’t know about you, but I thrive in rush!  Deadlines & all the things I need to sort out in a short amount of time excites me.  Yes, I know it’s weird.  But I know a lot of doctors enjoy this rush too.  Why else would they often wait till 2~3 weeks before opening date to request everything to be delivered in a week?

As a starter, we’ll be at mercy of whatever we have in stock.  That means potentially higher price or model that you don’t really want.  On top of that, you may need to pay rush fees to avoid any further delay.  And if we’re booked out on training schedule, we now need to find a way to squeeze you in between schedules for installation.  We’ll also be racing against time especially with financing & trucking schedule…..

There is a better way.

And if you’re one of those people who must have a ‘Number’, my recommendation is 60 days.

I know I can provide better service & better deals if I’m given more time & advanced notice.  In fact, doctors who I provided multiple systems in the past now makes me their first call after they start the construction at a new facility:  getting the biggest item out of the way.  Then we start scheduling physicist & start talking about list of misc. equipment as next step, to ensure everything is ready when YOU are ready.

What do you think?  Do you agree with my timeline?  Let me know your thoughts ‘BELOW’!