Philips and Workforce Optimizer Pte Ltd partner to provide better solutions for workforce management and procedure optimization modules for healthcare systems.
The partnership aims to address the unmet needs of many healthcare providers in Singapore and the region, such as improving staff satisfaction, reducing burnouts and lowering costs, and ultimately increase agility in redeploying their workforce in the face of unplanned events. It also taps on Philips’ expertise in health technology, which will see co-created innovation and solutions for providers, such as via long-term strategic partnerships with hospitals.
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, many healthcare organizations had to quickly change how they operate – among the critical actions include ensuring sufficient staff to tackle the surge in patient cases and upkeep workforce staffing and wellbeing.
“The shortage of skilled talent and high patient caseloads have been persistent issues that lead to burnout and less-optimal job experiences and patient outcomes in healthcare services. Manpower costs continue to be a large operational cost for hospitals, one that is exacerbated by high staff turnover or mismatched staffing,” said Ivy Lai, Country Manager, Philips Singapore. “Through our partnership with Workforce Optimizer, this will enable healthcare providers to tap on intelligent, AI-driven solutions to address complex scheduling needs, boosting their agility to swiftly adapt their workforce to meet unplanned demands in a fast-evolving landscape.”
In 2018, Workforce Optimizer (formerly FriarTuck) raised Series A financing from Philips and Enterprise Singapore. The company’s data-driven optimization platform provides hospital workforce management solutions to help health systems address changing labor demands and manage workplace fatigue, while improving productivity and staff engagement in the healthcare industry.
In Singapore, Workforce Optimizer has enabled healthcare organizations to manage their workforce optimally and provide greater visibility into workforce analytics. The solution has been implemented for the day-to-day scheduling and communication for over 35,000 healthcare professionals across hospitals, specialty centres and community hospitals – reducing the time spent on generating schedules, improving their quality of service and ensuring compliance with work policies.
“We are excited about our partnership with Philips to enhance digital transformation in health systems, modernize healthcare workforce management and reduce cost,” said Alan Sevugan, founder and CEO of Workforce Optimizer. “Employee engagement is a leadership priority across industries, no less so in healthcare for providers with a large proportion of skilled health professionals on shift work. With changing demand in the mix, intelligent forecasting and scheduling methods can help providers better manage their increasingly complex staffing needs.” [APBN]