Eddie On …

Minimizing downtime through repair exchange programs

Waiting for the return of a repaired scope when you have a full schedule of surgeries or procedures is a bit like being stuck in traffic when you're trying to catch a plane. It's often frustrating and may put your entire schedule at risk. Whether it's the urgency of the OR suite or the loaded case schedule of a GI lab, we understand that minimizing equipment downtime is critical.

To help expedite the process for extensive repairs, Olympus offers exchange programs for our surgical, medical and Gyrus ACMI equipment. For the same price as a refurbishment on your own equipment, exchanges allow you to trade in your damaged equipment for a refurbished unit, saving you considerable time. In fact, 96% of our customers choose the replacement option rather than waiting for refurbishment repairs on their original equipment. Olympus offers that choice through three exchange programs:

Repair Exchange Program: For medical and surgical equipment

With this program, customers can request a refurbished unit in exchange for their defective one after Olympus has received and evaluated it. There are approximately 400 Olympus models of surgical, ultrasound and flexible scopes, camera heads and electronics that can be serviced under this program. When the customer selects and approves a repair exchange, 98% of the time Olympus will ship the replacement unit the same day approval is received.

Advanced Replace™ Program (ARP): For surgical equipment and camera heads

In contrast, this program provides surgical customers with the option of requesting a refurbished replacement unit in advance of Olympus receiving their defective one. A customer can request and approve a replacement the moment their unit goes down and receive the replacement the next business day 98% of the time. This program covers 135 of our most popular product models, including Olympus scopes, camera heads and video cables. To maintain device traceability, ARP units are reserialized to match the equipment's original serial number.

REX Program: For Olympus' Gyrus ACMI equipment

Very similar to ARP, REX (Repair Exchange) is designed specifically for Gyrus ACMI equipment. Through REX, ACMI customers can elect to receive a next-business-day refurbishment replacement for their damaged equipment, with most Gyrus ACMI models available for exchange.

At Olympus, we strive to offer ways to reduce your downtime and control your costs by providing reliable repairs, a full complement of service protection plans and convenient exchange programs. I encourage you to contact your Olympus sales or service representative if you'd like more information regarding any of these options.