New Ascom head mulls future of service delivery

Service delivery innovation will transform home care far beyond the models we know today, the new Australian and NZ head of healthcare ICT and mobile workflow solutions vendor Ascom says.

This will include new levels of connectedness via products like wearable devices, says David Williams, who will take over from Feargal O’Farrell as Ascom’s Company Director for Australia and New Zealand.

Mr Williams, who leaves his role as Sales Director to take on the new job, says there’s enormous opportunity ahead and he looks forward to growing and developing the business, especially following the recent introduction of the Telligence Nurse Call Solution and Ascom i63 handset.

He says as a global organisation Ascom has had a front row seat to changes in health care brought about by COVID-19.

“Many services in the broader health care environment that have traditionally only been contemplated and delivered in face to face models are now being managed quite effectively via remote delivery models,” he told Community Care Review magazine.

“We believe that these steps, forced on service providers and service recipients through the global pandemic, have shown where technology can be leveraged to benefit many, and are likely to become permanent changes in the way some services are delivered.”

A catalyst for new products

He believes this change will be a catalyst for the development of new service offerings.

“As a global technology provider with expertise in a range of areas, we can foresee new markets for existing solutions as well as new solutions that will augment and support a range of home care solutions and services, and we are eager to explore these areas,” he said.

Ascom has seen a variety of outreach providers set up remote monitoring systems. There’s also been an uptick in interest in personal alarms and duress systems for outreach staff, Mr Williams says.

Post Covid, Mr Williams says his first challenge will be to ensure the adaptability and resilience the team at Ascom has shown during the pandemic continues.

“A challenge as an incoming senior business leader will be in shaping and guiding how we embed the lessons learnt in terms of engaging with our most important stakeholders – the customer base – and ensuring we  understand their needs. “

Like any other organisation, he hopes to take learnings from Ascom’s transition to a remote workplace model, while adapting to the new normal in workplace safety.

 “Ensuring we also implement the safety measures and hygiene measures the team at large has adopted will be an ongoing challenge as it really must be out new normal – whatever that is,” he says.

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