Ambulance

Focus on Performance Optimization
priority in assigning vehicles to the posts.
The Post Plan is also the basis for the
calculations which are being made in Optima
Deployment, indicating sufficient coverage
with ambulances of the various locations.
The locations which are not sufficiently
populated are shown in red, continuously
presenting the dispatchers a clear overview
of the situation. Currently, the Deployment
module is going live in the dispatch room
after thorough testing.
Introducing Optima Live and getting
the commitment of the dispatchers in
Rotterdam
For AZRR, it was extremely important that
the decision to deploy Optima was not
only made top-down but together with the
people in the dispatch room, who would be
working with Optima on a daily basis. For
that reason there was an additional visit to
the Denver location in November of 2012,
to show a selected group of dispatchers
an actual live working Optima solution.
As a result of this visit AZRR decided to
implement the first modules of Optima, with
an option for the Dispatch module. Not
part of the solution in Denver, we added the
Deployment module. With Deployment, it is
very easy to see which possible deployments
maintain an optimal distribution of vehicles
over the service area. And, it gives the
dispatchers the possibility to look “under
the hood” of the Optima software and
gain a better understanding of the process
leading to Optima’s results. This gives the
dispatchers more comfort and trust in the
calculations Optima makes. Deployment
makes its calculations solely based on the
AZRR Post Plan and business rules as these
were previously used by the dispatchers,
providing the staff with a sense of
recognition. Also, we decided to take more
time going through the implementation
stages to give the dispatchers enough time
to understand the use and the impact of
Optima Live. Certainly for Optima Live
Dispatch, it is important that the dispatchers
are comfortable with Optima’s deployment
proposals. If they are not confident with the
Optima recommendations, they will keep
questioning these. With the approach taken,
the commitment of the workforce to the
Optima solution is strengthened.
Added value of Optima
The Dispatch module adds significant value
to our total dispatch solution and helps
the dispatchers in their job. Every day we
analyse our over-due deployments, and
our analysis shows that especially at times
with many simultaneous deployments it is
difficult for the dispatcher to create and
value a new mental picture of the situation
and assign the most suitable vehicle while
considering the optimal distribution of
the ambulances across the various areas.
It is normal, and human nature, that when
the dispatcher has to cope with too many
deployments, he reverts to a basic mode of
planning, and assign the vehicle nearest to
the incident. But what the dispatcher cannot
do is possible with Optima Live; it can
recalculate in a split second, even under the
pressure of a high workload of simultaneous
deployment requests. Using the Optima Live
recommendations, the dispatcher can comply
with our Post Plan and at the same time
understand what to expect, based on the
historical of deployment patterns presented
by the software. As a result, we reduced
the workload of the dispatchers by helping
them make excellent deployments in hectic
situations, allowing them time to be more
supportive towards ambulance crews.
The solid implementation approach starts
with making a coverage plan in Optima
Predict. This plan is taken to the test in the
real operational environment using Optima
Live modules Deployment and Dispatch,
where it is fine-tuned even further. The result
is a truly optimal coverage plan. This is where
Optima adds real value. After thorough
testing AZRR obtained good results with
the Optima Live Deployment module. The
next step involved the implementation of
Optima Live Deployment in the production
environment. In May, we plan to start
implementing Optima Live Dispatch. We aim
to have all Optima modules operational at
the end of the year. It is needless to say that
we have high expectations of using Optima
and we will gladly tell you more after we
have finished implementing.
I would like to thank Aad Romijn and
especially Willem Grool who as previous
project leaders helped me to get up to speed
as project leaders for Optima Dispatch. Also
I would like to thank the Optima project
group, Henry Oudshoorn, Hans Bontekoe,
Marjolein Westerdijk and Hans Kuiper for their
tremendous effort.
Duncan Bänffer, Project Leader Optima
Dispatch, Rotterdam 1st of April.
To find out more about how the
Optima solutions can help improve
operational performance and
dispatch effectiveness call Intermedix
on: +44 (0) 1189 036 602
or visit the Intermedix website at:
www.intermedix.co.uk
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Spring 2016 | Ambulancetoday
Winter 2014 | Ambulancetoday3 53