For hospital procurement managers and financial administrators, Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is a critical metric. The standard formula is deceptively simple: calculate the initial purchase price, add the expected costs of maintenance and consumables over the asset's lifespan, and you have your TCO.
But this traditional model has a fatal flaw: it fails to account for the single most expensive factor in a hospital's equipment budget—obsolescence.
A healthcare environment is in a constant state of change. A unit is repurposed; a new service line is opened; a clinical workflow is updated. What happens to the highly specialized "anesthesia cart" when the room is no longer an OR? What happens to the "treatment cart" when the unit becomes a specialized infusion clinic?
In most cases, that fixed-function cart is decommissioned and replaced. The "asset" becomes obsolete long before its physical life is over, and an entirely new cart must be purchased. This cycle of functional obsolescence destroys TCO calculations and drains capital budgets.
This is the problem the Villard Eolis concept was engineered to solve. It is not a product; it is a platform. And it fundamentally changes the TCO equation by introducing two powerful concepts: modularity and optionality.
The Eolis Concept: An Asset Platform, Not a Product
The Eolis concept is built on a simple, brilliant idea: standardize the "chassis" and modularize the "function."
Every Eolis cart, from a simple treatment trolley to a complex medication cart, is built on a standard ISO 600x400 mm frame.1 This frame is the long-term asset.
The cart's purpose is defined by the vast ecosystem of modular components—drawers, baskets, shelves, trays, and specialized accessories—that can be added, removed, and reconfigured at any time, often without tools.1
This is the definition of modularity and optionality:
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Modularity: The ability to build a cart from the ground up for a specific purpose using standardized components.1
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Optionality: The freedom to choose from hundreds of accessories—like sharps container holders, glove box dispensers, laptop arms, and adjustable bridges—to create a truly custom workstation.1
A cart is no longer just "a cart." It is a mobile platform that can be an Anesthesia cart on Monday, a Phlebotomy cart on Tuesday, and a Medication cart on Wednesday.1
What This Means for Your Organization
This shift in design has profound, long-term implications for hospital operations, workflow, and, most importantly, the budget.
1. It Decouples the Asset from the Function, Defeating Obsolescence
This is the most critical financial benefit. With a fixed-function cart, the asset (the cart) is tied to the function (its purpose). When the function is no longer needed, the asset must be written off.
The Eolis concept decouples them.
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The Asset: The high-quality, durable cart frame and shell. This has a 10+ year lifespan.1
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The Function: The interchangeable modular components.
When a department's needs change, you do not replace the $6,000 cart. You reinvest a few hundred dollars to swap its modules. The long-term asset is preserved and "re-tasked," protecting the hospital's initial investment and dramatically extending the asset's useful life. This makes capital expenditure predictable and scalable.
2. It Creates Unprecedented Workflow Standardization
Because the entire Eolis ecosystem is built on the 600x400 standard, you create a hospital-wide standard for supplies.1 The baskets in a mobile Eolis cart are the exact same baskets that fit in the Eolis fixed storage shelving, transfer trolleys, and mobile cabinets.1
This means a pharmacy can stock a modular basket with medications, which can then be securely transferred to a mobile medication cart, wheeled to the patient's bedside, and then slotted directly into the cart's frame.
For a Nurse Manager, this is a revolutionary improvement to workflow. It eliminates the time-wasting, error-prone task of "decanting"—moving supplies from a big bin into a smaller cart drawer. This standardization saves nursing hours, reduces footsteps, and increases patient safety.
3. It Lowers the True Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
When you recalculate TCO with the Eolis concept, the picture changes entirely:
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Acquisition Cost: While the initial price may be comparable to other high-quality carts, the lifetime acquisition cost is drastically lower because you buy the "chassis" only once.
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Operating Cost: Workflow efficiency skyrockets. The time nurses save by not hunting for supplies or fighting inefficient equipment is a direct operational saving.
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Maintenance Cost: High-quality, durable materials (like ABS panels and epoxy-coated steel) and premium casters mean fewer repairs. Because the cart is modular, if a single drawer breaks, you replace the drawer, not the entire cart.
By investing in a flexible, modular platform, you are not just buying a cart for today's needs. You are "future-proofing" your hospital's entire mobile equipment fleet for the needs you don't even know you have yet. It is the ultimate strategy for building a resilient, adaptable, and financially sound healthcare environment.
