Saitama Red Cross Hospital Leverages BizRobo! for Enhanced Efficiency and Cost Reduction

Saitama Red Cross Hospital Enhances Efficiency with BizRobo!

Saitama Red Cross Hospital, a comprehensive medical facility located in Saitama, Japan, has embarked on a transformative journey by utilizing BizRobo!—a Robotic Process Automation (RPA) tool. This initiative not only addresses the challenge of increasing workloads among healthcare staff but also contributes to significant cost reductions across its services.

The Need for Automation

With 33 medical specialties and a bed capacity of 638, the hospital averages approximately 1,483 outpatient visits and 573 inpatient admissions per day, requiring around 1,500 staff members to manage patient care. Over time, the hospital has observed a continuous rise in workload, particularly among human resources and other administrative functions, contributing to extended working hours for employees.

The COVID-19 pandemic further complicated staffing challenges, making it evident that increasing personnel numbers was not a viable option. In response to this pressing issue, the hospital sought digitalization strategies and initially implemented a time management system in 2023. However, inefficiencies such as missed punch-ins continued to burden the HR department. To alleviate these issues, staff members proposed leveraging RPA to automate routine tasks.

After a successful two-month trial, the hospital adopted BizRobo! Lite in 2023, driven by three key considerations:
1. The ability for frontline staff to lead robot development and management.
2. A flexible licensing and pricing structure.
3. Proven success of BizRobo! in other hospitals under the Japan Red Cross.

Particularly important was the potential for staff to create robots independently with minimal training time, allowing scalable and cost-effective implementation.

Achieving Significant Time Savings

The first robot developed at Saitama Red Cross Hospital automated messaging for employees who missed time punches in the attendance management system. Supported by a partner company during development, HR staff initiated this project. Over the next two years, administrative staff took the reins to develop over 130 robots internally, with approximately 100 currently in operation across around 20 tasks.

These RPA initiatives have led to a reduction of at least 350 hours in operational workload annually. Moreover, requests for updates to the hospital's electronic medical record (EMR) system have increasingly been addressed using BizRobo!, significantly cutting the typical costs and time associated with such modifications.

One practical example of automation involves the creation of patient cards for newly admitted patients. BizRobo! is now capable of compiling electronic medical record information and generating these cards automatically, eliminating labor-intensive manual processes for staff. Additionally, the automation of sharing information about patients receiving antibiotic treatment has improved workflow efficiency. Initially, the hospital considered EMR system modifications, which would incur substantial costs. However, switching to RPA allowed for the automation without additional expenses.

Expanding RPA Usage Across Departments

The hospital is evaluating the outcomes of BizRobo! implementation, declaring a promising start with 350 hours of time saved. Moving forward, they aim to extend RPA solutions to the pharmacy and nursing departments, targeting a total of 1,000 hours in annual workload reduction. Learning from other hospitals already employing BizRobo! will be essential in identifying new applications and maximizing benefits.

Open Co., Ltd. is committed to supporting healthcare institutions to alleviate workforce shortages and enhance operational efficiency using RPA and AI technologies. Their nationwide presence and partnerships with various industries allow for tailored support reflecting the unique needs of each facility. Open advocates for leveraging digital transformation not only as a way to improve staff working conditions but also for hospital management enhancements.

Understanding BizRobo!

BizRobo! acts as a digital labor platform that revolutionizes productivity for white-collar workers by supporting the deployment and management of software robots. By relieving workers from routine tasks, BizRobo! aims to enhance productivity across organizations and transform future work environments. The platform also contributes to improved operational efficiency, quality of care, and revenue for healthcare facilities.
For more information, visit the official product pages.

Company Overview

Open Co., Ltd.

- Headquarters: 3-3-1 Nishishimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo
- Established: July 2013
- CEO: Gaku Ishii
- Capital: 300 million yen
- Services: Information processing services utilizing smart robots (RPA, AI), consulting, outsourcing, digital marketing, online advertising.

Saitama Red Cross Hospital

- Location: 1-5 Shintoshin, Chuo-ku, Saitama
- Established: September 1934
- Director: Kazuya Kiyota
- Bed Capacity: 638
- Specialties: 33 departments including internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, and emergency care.