Story
It worked there, but will it work here?
Challenge
CharlesGroup research revealed that device mishandling by customers was contributing to unnecessary costs for the client. Roche needed to incentivize health care institutions to better care for devices despite the liberal (cost-free) replacement policy in place.
Solution
CharlesGroup generated a range of solutions, then designed a national study with client Purchasing Directors to evaluate them. The New Service Program resulting from the research became a financial win-win for client and customers.

Roche

Roche had an excellent program in place to assure consistency in care. Any device that malfunctioned or was broken could be returned with a replacement sent next day. The costs each year to the client in maintaining this program were in the millions of dollars.

The CharlesGroup workflow analysis revealed that many of the devices which were being returned as ‘malfunctioning’ were, in reality, being dropped, tossed, sometimes, even simply not being placed back on their recharge stations. The question arose, how might institutions take more responsibility for device handling and reduce these unnecessary costs?

CharlesGroup, partnering with the client, innovated possible new scenarios whereby institutions would receive a price break on consumables, if they kept the number of returned devices below a certain level. CharlesGroup then designed a study in which these new scenarios were tested amongst Purchasing Directors across the US to determine their interest.

Over two-thirds of the participants expressed a willingness to adopt the new agreement. The net result, when executed, saved the client millions of dollars.