Here’s How Varian Medical Systems Is Combining with Siemens Healthineers to Supercharge Field Service Provision

Cancer is one of the most horrific things which can happen to a person and their loved ones, and few corners of the field service world are more critical than maintaining the machines and devices which help healthcare professional deliver treatments to those suffering from this terrible disease.

Being able to rely on oncological medical devices can literally mean the difference between life and death for patients and those brands which operate in this part of the healthcare market understand the responsibility the carry when it comes to keeping their products operating at maximum efficiency.

This is what has led American radiation oncology treatments and software maker based in Palo Alto, California, Varian Medical Systems to leverage its recent combination with global healthcare giant Siemens Healthineers to supercharge the proactive maintenance of oncological medical devices.

Varian Medical Systems

Now under the umbrella of Siemens Healthineers, Varian Medical Systems has the resources and influence it needs to demonstrate the power of intelligent cancer care to shape the future of oncology and the medical devices which assist healthcare providers working in that field.

"After the past year and a half, our global Varian team is looking forward to the opportunity to […] highlight the strength of our combination with Siemens Healthineers," said Chief Executive Officer of Varian Medical Systems, Chris Toth. "Together, we will create the most comprehensive cancer care portfolio in the industry and address the entire care continuum. [You] will learn more about our innovative technologies, AI-based solutions, and the many ways we are a trusted partner to help our customers deliver patient centric, personalized care."

The new merger with Siemens Healthineers will enable Varian Medical Systems to innovate in many corners of the oncological medical device field, but perhaps one of the most interesting – definitely from our perspective – comes in the form of its recent launch of Varian Smart Services – a new standard in the application of proactive maintenance in the healthcare industry.

Smart Services

Varian Medical Systems’ Smart Services innovation brings together a range of digital technologies including artificial intelligence and data science, and a dedicated global network of over 2,000 expert technicians. These factors all combine to optimize Varian’s systems and assist oncology clinics in improving their operational efficiency.

Contrasted with third-party field service contractors, Varian Medical Systems is confident its first-party offering can deploy proprietary technology, designed, and developed alongside its own medical devices, to provide clinics with the kinds of insights, alerts, and system diagnostics the world of cancer treatment demands to keep things running smoothly.

"Varian’s data show that, with predictive and proactive service, a clinic can avoid some 3.6 hours of downtime per incident than would otherwise be the case," said the company in a press statement. "In addition, by using Smart Services, Varian is able to resolve 65% of service cases remotely. Through 24/7 remote monitoring, a powerful digital analytics platform, and a vast network of more than 2,000 continually trained support experts, clinics that choose Smart Services are completing an average of 95% of patient treatments without disruption."

At the core of the Smart Services platform lies SmartConnect® Plus which synthesizes anonymized and aggregated machine performance data using Varian’s ViDA™ analytics platform.

ViDA is created from over 300 artificial intelligence and machine learning models which are designed to constantly process historical data and configuration files. Varian engineers can then leverage the power of these analyses to provide intelligent and data-driven services, such as predictive maintenance, proactive service, as well as actionable insights with the power to increase operational efficiency and productivity.

"The ViDA platform gives us both historical analysis, which we can use to help clinics improve machine performance and workflow efficiency, and real-time alerts on certain kinds of faults that could have an impact on patient care," explains Varian District Service Manager for the north-eastern US, Brett Williams. "For instance, if the power goes out over the weekend at a clinic, I can let the physicist know in time to bring the machine back up before Monday morning’s patients start arriving."

"Now we have Smart Services, our reps are telling us we have a potential problem before we know it," added a Varian client. "For instance, one day a part showed up out of the blue, and the service rep called to say he’d noticed we’d been having couch faults. He’d already ordered a corrective part and was arriving that that evening to install it. Previously, that would have cost us at least a day of downtime and patients would have missed treatments."

Final Thoughts

Varian’s combination with Siemens Healthineers has given the brand the tools it needs to create a field service offering which is able to deploy the very latest digital technology to make sure device critical to oncological healthcare provision can continue unabated.

The future is looking bright for this innovative brand, and any patients which rely on its devices.

You can hear Varian Medical Systems Field Vice President of Service Operations, Patrick Dell, speak at Field Service Hilton Head 2022, taking place in August at the Marriott Hilton Head Resort & Spa, SC.

Download the agenda today for more information and insights.