Your Pill on a Silver Platter? Incorporating Resort Features into Hospitals

It’s common to think of “luxury” in terms of townhouses, or hotels, or resorts, but imagine a “luxury hospital” where a patient in a spacious suite calls room service for a late night snack. That scene represents a growing trend as large healthcare organizations hope to attract more patients by building hospitals that resemble high-end hotels. In fact, one of Michigan’s newer hospitals even recruited its administrator from one of the nation’s premier hotel chains. How did we get from institutional-looking hospitals to this extreme? We discovered that our mental state affects our health and healing and our environment affects our mental state. It follows that if you are in the business of healing and want to improve patient outcomes, then you ought to create as patient-friendly an environment as possible. An equally compelling reason for building a high-end hospital is that it differentiates you in a crowded, competitive healthcare market. An upscale hospital makes a statement that can’t be ignored. If you’ve been in a hospital that was built or remodeled in the last five years, you’ve probably seen the evidence: expansive, attractive lobbies decorated with plants and artwork, pleasant lighting, private patient rooms and a more home-like environment. For example, the recent SSOE-designed surgery center at Mt. Clemens Regional Medical Center includes an attractive, spacious two-story atrium and an outdoor healing garden. Continue Reading →

Procurement: An Art and a Science

Procurement: An Art and a Science
Reviewing specifications, preparing and analyzing bid packages, negotiating contracts, handling purchase orders and more. This is the “science” of procurement. It demands a broad skill set and stringent attention to detail. The “art” of procurement is acquired mostly through experience. It is the knowledge of what to watch for in every step of the process to consistently get the best value on the right equipment and avoid costly mistakes. It is knowing how to make the most of relationships with suppliers. Seasoned procurement professionals more than pay for themselves whether they are part of an in-house department or hired on a per-project basis. Continue Reading →

The Big Business of Minority Business

The Big Business of Minority Business
While supplier diversity programs help minority businesses become successful, these programs also broadly impact society and major corporations. They are about doing business in a diverse world and building customer loyalty. Mega consumer brands are among the biggest supporters of supplier diversity programs providing multi-billion dollar commitments. Fourteen corporations are members of an elite Billion Dollar Roundtable. To qualify, they spend at least that amount annually with minority- and women-owned businesses. Procter and Gamble, Toyota, Daimler Chrysler, GM and Ford are among the members. Growing your consumer base Supplier diversity programs are as good for the company as they are for the suppliers because the people who own and work in these businesses are an important customer segment. As A.J. Lafly, the Chairman of the Board and President of Procter and Gamble explains, “Our very future depends on capturing and retaining the loyalty of a growing consumer market audience. [Supplier Diversity Programs] are one of the ways we achieve our goals.” In addition to earning customer loyalty, hiring minority companies increases their employees’ buying power. Procter & Gamble makes it very clear, “If we do not increase economic strength among minority groups, we cannot grow our US business, which will have a major impact on our global business in the future.” The more American families that can afford their products, the greater their volume of sales. Continue Reading →

SSOE Ranks as Best Firm to Work for – One of Nine Nationwide

SSOE Ranks as Best Firm to Work for - One of Nine Nationwide
While the previous generation was likely to work for the same company for the majority of their working life, now the average 20+ year old can expect to change jobs between 9 and 13 times. SSOE is an exception. It was recently named one of the Best Firms to Work For by Building Design and Construction magazine. Compare that to SSOE’s 2006 retention rate of 94% at a time when demand for engineers and architects exceeds supply. Being a model employer pays off. Studies show that attracting and keeping good people is not purely the result of a generous pay scale. SSOE’s approach clearly demonstrates the company understands that what employees value most varies from individual to individual. In addition to offering a broad, creative range of benefits, SSOE offers employees choices whenever feasible. The formal name for its holistic approach is Total Employment Value Proposition (EVP) and it addresses skill development, career progression, total compensation, total benefits and culture. Continue Reading →

We’d Like to Report…

We’d Like to Report...
New Toyota assembly plant Toyota recently awarded SSOE the comprehensive A/E design services contract for their Highlander assembly plant located in Blue Springs, Mississippi near Tupelo. This $1.3 billion plant, situated on 1,700 acres, will produce 150,000 vehicles annually and employ 2,000 workers by 2010. This facility will be Toyota’s 12th North American Assembly Line. SSOE has been involved in projects at several of these sites as well as projects for Toyota’s unit plants in Alabama, West Virginia, Tennessee and Missouri. SSOE’s experience in the R&D arena has also led to involvement in the design of Toyota’s Research Facilities in York Township, Michigan; Ann Arbor, Michigan and Toyota’s Headquarters in Erlanger, Kentucky. Ford R&E in China SSOE China was also recently awarded the full EPCM contract for Ford’s new Research and Engineering facility in Nanjing, China. The facility will have 600 employees and include a technical center, Ford’s China headquarters and a component and vehicle testing laboratory. Ford is one of the fastest growing automotive manufacturers in China. Continue Reading →