HOUSTON, TX, February 22, 2009
/24-7PressRelease/ -- Medical Research Consultants (MRC), a company specializing in record retrieval, document management, and nurse review of medical records, recently launched a new team within the organization: the Center of Excellence (CoE). In less than a year, MRC's COE has realized improved processes and multiple time and cost-savings, which in turn benefit the organizations' client base of law firms and in-house legal departments at major manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, and insurance companies.
MRC's Center of Excellence is informed by Lean Sigma principles, which have solid application to document management and record retrieval processes. "In an economic climate where in-house legal departments and their outside counsel are experiencing strong pressure to keep litigation costs low, updated technology, process efficiency and elimination of errors are crucial to meeting our clients' needs," says Doreen J. Wise, founder and CEO of MRC.
According to Chris Robertson, one of the highlights of the Center of Excellence is the focus on continuous employee development. "We provide Leadership skills training and identify skill sets that are necessary for given positions within MRC. If an employee seeks to move up within the organization, we help them understand the skill sets they have to gain to progress to the next level," says Robertson.
Another key goal of the Center of Excellence is the development of business tools for process improvement. "As a Lean Sigma organization, we constantly strive to evaluate and improve our processes. Our clients benefit from this commitment by receiving products and services faster, cheaper, and with fewer errors," says Robertson. Regina Wysocki, another CoE team member adds, "Internal benchmarks need to reflect the need of the customer, not just internal ideas about productivity." Through COE's focus on training and continuous process improvements, MRC's client-facing employees can better concentrate on the day-to-day needs of the client, and are freed up to make proactive, instead of reactive recommendations.
The COE has realized quick improvements by reorganizing internal document management workflows. In mid-2008 the COE assisted the document management department in implementing a visually based workflow known as 5S. One of the fundamental components of a Lean environment, 5S is a system to reduce waste and optimize productivity through maintenance of an orderly workplace and use of visual cues to achieve more consistent operational results. The five S's are: Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain.
Results of the 5S project at MRC:
• Color coded, visual workflow resulting in a more logical work sequence and reduction in training time
• Increased inventory control as a result of visual cues
• Improved end to end cycle time
• Reduction in wasted movement and material.
Next on the horizon is the implementation of new scanning software, a technology investment anticipated to yield significant cost and time efficiencies. The COE is committed to constantly adjusting focus towards the goals of customer, and assuring that productivity and accuracy go hand-in-hand with a responsive line of communication with the client.
About Medical Research Consultants
Founded in 1983, MRC offers a comprehensive support solution for legal, healthcare, and insurance professionals, including nurse review of medical records, record retrieval and management, lien research and resolution, bill coding and audit, and call center services. MRC has supported some of the largest mass torts on record, including toxic tort and products liability litigations, but also offers expertise in Pharmocovigilance, HCC Management, and individual personal injury cases. MRC is a certified woman-owned business, and is a preferred vendor for several major manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies. For further information, please contact Alison Greene, Director of Marketing, at agreene@mrchouston.com or at 713.528.6326.
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- injury, lean, liability, litigation, mass, personal, pharmaceutical, products, sigma, six, support, torts, toxic
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