“Using the Spotlight application built on Microsoft BizTalk RFID, we will be able to account for all blood bags without having to scan each one multiple times.” Lynne Briggs, IT Director, BloodCenter of Wisconsin BloodCenter of Wisconsin provides blood and blood products to hospitals for patients in need throughout the state. In consortium with partners, the center wanted to create an automated, efficient way to reconcile and track blood products and containers. It plans to deploy a radio frequency identification solution based on Microsoft BizTalk Server RFID 2010. Once the solution is implemented, the organization expects to streamline processes, reduce errors, lower costs, and improve efficiency. Business Needs BloodCenter of Wisconsin, based in Milwaukee, collects and distributes lifesaving blood across Wisconsin. A not- for-profit organization, BloodCenter of Wisconsin also offers diagnostic testing, medical services, organ and tissue services, and leading-edge research. About 800 people need to donate blood each day to help maintain the supply to local hospitals served by BloodCenter of Wisconsin. Tracking these products from the point of collection to the patient’s hospital bedside is a primary responsibility of the organization and industry. “We are in the mission-critical business of collecting and distributing blood to patients that need it,” says Lynne Briggs, IT Director, BloodCenter of Wisconsin. "That's why it is so important that we have the right technology to support those efforts." Blood centers rely on the combination of technology and process controls to trace and reconcile blood products. The process of tracking product information and entering it into the system is sometimes paper-based, time-consuming, and prone to error. "There are multiple hand-offs and physical location and status changes throughout the supply chain," says Briggs. "Unfortunately, human errors happen, and they can cause a product to be unusable or not at the right place when it is needed." Because of the critical nature of the blood supply and the importance of traceability and controls, the FDA regulates the industry to ensure the adequacy and accuracy of blood center tracking and reporting processes. The industry therefore seeks solutions that can reduce the risk of human error and costly inefficiencies. For decades, the industry has relied on barcodes for identification and tracking of blood products. Eventually, radio frequency identification (RFID) technology will work in parallel with existing barcodes and will allow automatic and bulk identification of units. Currently, each barcode must be individually scanned, which can be inefficient. Solution In late 2007, BloodCenter of Wisconsin founded the Transfusion Medicine RFID Consortium, a public-private partnership of hospitals and blood centers, the University of Wisconsin–Madison, local technology partner SysLogic, and Oregon- based Microsoft Gold Certified Partner S3Edge. Through a study funded by the National Institutes of Health, the consortium sought to assess and pilot RFID as a way to increase efficiency and supply chain safety. Customer: BloodCenter of Wisconsin Website: www.bcw.edu RFID Website: www.transfusionmedicinerfid.org Customer Size: 800 employees Country or Region: United States Industry: Healthcare—Hospitals Partner: S3Edge Partner Website: www.s3edge.com Customer Profile BloodCenter of Wisconsin is a nonprofit transfusion medicine organization providing services to 60 hospitals throughout Wisconsin. Software and Services Microsoft Server Product Portfolio − Windows Server 2008 − Microsoft BizTalk Server 2010 − Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Technologies − Microsoft BizTalk Server RFID 2010 − Microsoft Silverlight For more information about other Microsoft customer successes, please visit: www.microsoft.com/casestudies Microsoft Server Product Portfolio Customer Solution Case Study Blood Center Expects to Automate Product Tracking, Cut Costs with RFID Solution