GE Healthcare has just revealed that it plans to spend as much as $2 billion over the next five years in order to improve its software development and solutions. The company has been working hard over the last few years to become a real force in the healthcare industry and this announcement is just another step in the right direction.
Additionally, the company will be working closely with the GE Software Center of Excellence in order to achieve its goals. That center was already the byproduct of a $1 billion investment by GE and it will be working with other development centers around the world in order to become the best of the best.
GE Healthcare has already taken some steps to achieve its goals when it comes to working with other companies. During its announcement, the company commented that it will be focusing on a development strategy that will be “maximizing asset performance and improving hospital operations.” Among the specific goals that the company is touting are an attempt to increase productivity through scheduling efficiencies and faster data entry capabilities.
The solutions that GE Healthcare wants to bring are also aimed at reducing costs by optimizing workflow and eliminating the kind of waste that current solutions in the healthcare industry can engender. Jan De Witte, the president and CEO of healthcare IT and performance solutions for GE Healthcare added that it is waste that the company hopes to get rid of the most.
Witte concluded, "A 10-20 percent improvement is feasible. Overall, in an industry that is estimated to waste about 25 percent of its resources, there's a tremendous opportunity to profit from improvement.” He said that GE Healthcare plans to utilize a big data approach to accomplish quite a few of its goals and will lean heavily on its existing San Ramon R&D center in order to carry out its goals as well.
Edited by
Jamie Epstein
