AI-Ready
Case Medical is committed to continuous improvement and partners with local universities and community colleges to support their students with internships, and co-op opportunities. This partnership has served us well as we learn how AI and machine learning can be applied to our operations. Last week, we participated in the Rutgers supply chain summit 2025. The by-lines were as follows: Resilient, responsible and AI-Ready. The discussion focused on how companies are using AI and implementing some practical AI solutions for supply chain management and production. We recognize that this is important for manufacturing, especially for medical devices and reprocessing solutions; products that we make to support SPD and OR. But AI-Ready can also support the operational efficiency in healthcare settings and what we have learned during the past months is AI-Ready contributes to significant savings to our bottom line and can with yours.
How much is AI transformative and how much of it is hype
AI has both transformative and hyped aspects. In supply chain management, AI is truly transformative when it's used for predictive analytics and demand forecasting, inventory optimization, and automated decision making. These applications reduce costs, improve service levels, and enhance flexibility. The hype often comes from claims about AI replacing humans entirely or achieving “general intelligence”. In reality, most AI today augments human decision making rather than replacing it. The key is to focus on practical applications that deliver measurable business value.
AI with a mother’s touch
You must know by now that Case Medical has a lot of women in manufacturing, in engineering, in administration and on the production floor. Many of our products have been developed based upon your input or “touch”. This process can be interpreted as using our senses and feelings to create products that you ask for and the byproduct is responding to human needs. Geoffrey Hinton often called “the godfather of AI”, after receiving the Nobel Prize, called for research into AI safety to figure out how to prevent AI systems from becoming out of control. His solution for safety is to imbue AI with maternal instincts. The “touch” aspect refers to creating AI systems that are designed to be more supportive, nurturing, and sensitive to patients emotional and psychological needs, mimicking the positive aspects of human interaction and communication.
Resilience in manufacturing and SPD
The Sterile Processing Department, in many respects, is the manufacturing arm of the hospital. As a medical device manufacturer, we are facing some of the same challenges in the supply chain with the availability of supplies and increasing costs. We need to be resilient and have the ability to bounce back or recover quickly from difficult situations or challenges, like tariffs. Resilient people are able to cope with tough events and keep going, both physically and mentally. It's a skill you develop over time from the lessons and experiences you absorb as you grow up and face challenges. AI can contribute to resilience in supply chain and in daily operations when accurate data is collected within the system and interpretation of the data for sound decision making is part of the daily routine.
AI for SteriTite containers
Software and digital visualization can solve many SPD issues. Sterile processing has become more challenging and requires instant access to IFUs to properly process the many technologically advanced devices available. These instructions are more detailed and more critical to follow than ever before and many of them are repetitive. This is where SteriTite partnered with its proprietary software, CaseTrak360, incorporating AI touch points can be applied to help users to do their job competently. With a simple scan and a 2D barcode, CaseTrak360 software in partnership with SteriTite can provide all the necessary information using AI for asset management, instrument tracking, quality assurance, instructions in real time with digital visualization and a simple scan to handle the repetitive tasks so your ability to make strategic decisions and collaborate across teams reaches its full potential.
