Numotion ramps up remotely

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. - Numotion has updated its service model to include remote troubleshooting, diagnosing and, sometimes, even repairing.

The national complex rehab provider announced in September that it now offers widespread remote service through a HIPAA-compliant phone app that allows users and technicians to communicate via secure video.

“The service model in complex rehab hasn't kept up with advancement in technology—it's consuming and cumbersome,” said Bud DeGraff, COO. “We have a large service area and a limited number of techs, so there's always a sense of urgency for us to be faster and more efficient. This is a way for us to make great strides in that area.”

Numotion expects it will conduct 30,000 remote service assessments by the end of this year and it has a goal of 100,000 next year. It can be used for, among other things, malfunctioning motors or actuators, and joystick lockout issues.

DeGraff says Numotion now has more than 20 techs dedicated to remote service, sitting anywhere from Connecticut and California. Even if they can't resolve a user's issue remotely, they eliminate the need for an in-person assessment and can get the ball rolling on a repair by, say, ordering parts, he says.

“With remote assessments, we can take care of more customers,” he said. “We still may have to send someone to complete the repair, but by at least getting them started this way, we can process more orders and we can get paid for more that we do.”

Looking forward at how else Numotion can leverage technology, DeGraff says he's most excited about the adjacencies between the company and the work of manufacturers on a more “connected wheelchair.”

“Right now, even with remote assessments, we're still starting from square one,” he said. “With connected data, we can do preventative maintenance before a wheelchair even goes down.”

The incorporation of technology into service can't come fast enough for wheelchair users like Brianna Rieck in Prairie Du Chien, Wis.

“I downloaded the free app and less than 10 minutes later the tech had a diagnosis,” she said. “He double checked his findings with the manufacturer, then ordered the parts. It saved a ton of time and money. I'll do it again and again—it was simple, quick and easy.”