Every year, Clemson University MBA in Entrepreneurship and Innovation capstone project students come together to participate in the Innovation at Work Competition. This single-event judged competition allows students who have instituted an intrapreneurial strategy within their organization to show how they are applying classroom knowledge to develop real-world solutions.
Clemson MBAe student Josh Malzahn won first place and a $3,000 cash prize in the Innovation at Work Competition on June 3, 2022, for his work with TRIMEDX to equip medical devices with predictive work order systems that can detect possible failures before they occur.
Malzahn graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering in 2017 and moved into his current role as a senior manager at TRIMEDX, a clinical asset management company delivering comprehensive clinical engineering services.
“Technology is built with the knowledge that it will inevitably fail,” explains Malzahn. “I saw a lag in response time from when a technician started to diagnose errors and eventually find the root cause to resolve the issue fully.” Unfortunately, failures can leave patients vulnerable and hospitals liable for risks when it comes to medical devices. TRIMEDX’s predictive work order system alerts technicians for repairs before breakdowns occur, eliminating unexpected downtimes.
“I have been able to experience the benefit of predictive work orders as we’ve seen faster diagnostic repairs,” adds Malzahn. “TRIMEDX strives to change the approach to clinical engineering from reactive to proactive. By transitioning to more proactive repairs, we can mitigate clinical device downtime and provide safer, more effective ways to keep equipment up and operational — putting patient safety first.”
Malzahn attributes his encouraged drive for innovation to the Clemson MBAe program. “I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit with a heart to continuously improve, so Clemson’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation track was the perfect fit,” he explains. “By being in a part-time MBA and working full time, I saw new perspectives in my job while enrolled — this is what drives me to innovate. Clemson gave me new perspectives, which I believe are needed to widen your network past your current industry to gain a diversity of thought.”
When it comes to his Innovation at Work Competition win, Malzahn explains that he gained valuable insight and felt validated in his decisions to improve his workplace. “Presentations can be nerve-racking, but having the opportunity to share your innovations and receive feedback doesn’t occur often,” he shared. “Winning always feels great, and it feels good to have your work affirmed by others knowing you’re working to support the healthcare industry.”
“I’m glad to have been a part of the competition,” concludes Malzahn.
Malzahn plans to continue his current role at TRIMEDX as he conducts further work on Beta testing the innovative predictive work systems. After that, he plans to branch out into a director position, covering a larger territory and continuing to find means of improvement for the organization’s clients.
Learn more about the Clemson MBA in Entrepreneurship and Innovation and the Innovation at Work Competition.
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