Coventry NHS

Coventry NHS Trust Streamlines Room Bookings and Utilisation Reporting

Coventry NHS Trust, part of the Arden Cluster, is responsible for providing access to healthcare services for the 300,000 residents in Coventry. The Trust has a range of existing premises across Coventry and a new hospital building that opened early 2012.

In order to reduce costs and minimise environmental impact, the Trust set out on a three-pronged initiative to rationalise estates and ensure that all their buildings are used as efficiently as possible in serving patients and staff.

1. Get better visibility of how well meeting rooms – including consultation and therapy rooms – are being used and by whom. This will improve cost allocation and help identify any underutilised buildings that may be eligible for being sold off.
2. Improve on the current room booking processes and eliminate ‘no shows’ to control costs and get maximum room utilisation.
3. In the future, provide a flexible workspace for staff not requiring a full-time desk, again, with the aim of reducing real-estate costs.

Working in collaboration with Microsoft Gold Partner, Essential Computing and the PCT’s IT Collaborative (ITC), the PCT now has a resource management solution that layers on top of its Microsoft Exchange and Outlook® email and calendaring system. Integration with existing core systems and working practices is proving to be a key factor in streamlining the resource booking process and getting a system that the entire PCT will benefit from.

“Our facilities team gets calls all day every day to book rooms. Prior to implementing Resource Central making a room booking was a multi-layered process. Now it’s just a lot easier for people to create bookings and there is a lot less process involved.”

Kirstie Webb, Projects Administrator in the Estates Department

Advanced Scheduling

Finding the optimum room available used to be a challenge as it was difficult to view multiple room calendars at once using ‘native’ Outlook®. By adding AgendaX™, a group calendaring application that integrates with Microsoft Exchange and Outlook®, the PCT has significantly curtailed the planning process.

“Using AgendaX we can now see at a glance what rooms are free and when across the City. Before we would have to open up each individual room calendar which would take an inordinate length of time.”

Kirstie Webb, Projects Administrator in the Estates Department

Streamlined Booking & Data Capture

Having found the ideal room, the process of making a booking has been reduced to just a few clicks. Rooms are still booked using Outlook® calendar, but Resource Central includes forms that enable PCT staff to record who the booking is for, enter a cost codeto be associated with the resource and any other information, all in one place. This ensures services and time are billed accurately and supports internal reporting.

“The forms make it possible for us to ensure services and time are billed for. We weren’t able to do this in the past because there was no way of accurately capturing this information.”

Kirstie Webb, Projects Administrator in the Estates Department

The information is also proving useful for the PCT’s in-house service provider arm to capture service line reporting and identify heavy users. It will also enable the PCT to create cleaning schedules for clinical rooms. The PCT facilities team is also seeing tangible savings in time spent booking resources.

“Our facilities team gets calls all day every day to book rooms. Prior to implementing Resource Central making a room booking was a multi-layered process. Now it’s just a lot easier for people to create bookings and there is a lot less process involved.”

Kirstie Webb, Projects Administrator in the Estates Department

Room Touch Screens

To reduce unused bookings, ResourceXpress™ touch screens were installed outside meeting rooms. These screens display availability and allow staff to book directly or check in/out. If not checked in, the room is freed up for others, improving utilisation.

Resource Central Benefits

• Saves time and frees up staff for other important tasks.
• Integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Outlook® and Exchange.
• Gives users an overview of all available meeting rooms and shared workspaces.
• Easy to administer and use.
• Displays important details about meeting rooms, including images and location.
• Handles all changes and cancellations.

About Resource Central

Resource Central is a premier booking solution from Add-On Products that allows you to book resources, equipment, catering, and other services. It integrates with Microsoft Outlook® and Exchange Server, simplifying the process of scheduling and organizing meetings.

Partner Information
Partner: Essential Computing