At IMRIS, we are driven to be the global hybrid operating room leader, integrating the world’s most innovative technologies. Our expertise is designing and creating surgical suites to positively affect clinical outcomes for patients. As IMRIS continues to evolve in the hybrid operating room market, we remain steadfast in our commitment to our customers.

As our customer base expanded, it necessitated an investment in the service organization to continue to provide outstanding service to our customers. To lead this initiative, IMRIS looks to Kristi Timmer, VP of Global Customer Service, to develop the strategy and drive the customer service transformation. IMRIS is fortunate to have an experienced leader in Kristi, and a dedicated team of design planners, program managers, service technicians, and customer support specialists.

“The wealth of knowledge and diversified skills amongst our team is what makes IMRIS unique. We are identifying new channels to capture this experience and to cross-train our employees.”

What intrigues Kristi most about her role is the opportunity to leverage the experience and knowledge of tenured employees to help establish the framework of the IMRIS service organization.

“I am eager to share over twenty years of tribal knowledge from tenured employees with our entire service organization.”

Kristi envisions cultivating an environment that empowers her team to achieve customer-centricity. With that in mind, she set forth in defining four common goals, which are the foundation of the customer service transformation.

I. TRANSFORM THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE	II. INCREASE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION	III. STREAMLINE INSTALLATION & SERVICE	IV. ENHANCE CUSTOMER SUPPORT

As with all initiatives involving organization-wide change, there is no shortage of work. While Kristi focuses on these initiatives, she advocates for breaking down the walls between different functions and for all IMRIS employees to join her in facilitating collaboration and growth.

I. Transform the Customer Experience

IMRIS is focused on enhancing our partnerships for the benefit of our shared customers. In parallel, we will continue to educate and train our customer service team, while also training and certifying our partners to service their own products within IMRIS Surgical Theatres. We are committed to empowering our employees and our partners with the necessary knowledge and expertise to support our shared customers and to transform the customer experience.

II. Increase Customer Satisfaction

A system-wide review of the IMRIS service organization and infrastructure is currently underway, focusing on organizational development. IMRIS Customer Service is implementing improvements to installation procedures, creating tools, and utilizing technologies to increase timeliness and efficiency of installations. Customer Service is also increasing interactions with Quality Assurance to improve workflow for complaint handling and other business critical processes. They are implementing metric reporting and quality control systems for improved management of service documents and records.

III. Streamline Installation & Service

An increase in communication between program management and design planning is bringing greater efficiency to the installation process. Design planners have revised their drawing templates for consistent utilization and standardization. Installation specialists are revising their procedures, and transitioning from printed documentation to an electronic method of tracking. A standardized process for Preventative Maintenance (PM) visits was also developed for earlier PM scheduling each calendar year.

IV. Enhance Customer Support

Customer Support is making enhancements to meet the demands of IMRIS’ growing customer base and to accommodate for an increase in call volume. They are partnering with IT to explore the use of system applications across the Customer Support and Clinical Applications teams, and gathering feedback to determine the best communication mechanism to efficiently manage call intake and timely resolution of customer requests. Customer support metrics are routinely monitored to ensure we are delivering on our commitment to provide outstanding support to our customers.