Search & Find gets closer to the clinician with the latest Columna Flow release

Improved maps, smarter filtering, and role-based views help clinical staff find the right equipment faster.

Most real-time tracking systems were built for logistics teams and facility managers. The data is there — serial numbers, locations, maintenance status — but it sits in interfaces designed for administrators, not for a nurse who needs an infusion pump in the next five minutes.

Columna Flow 2026.2 changes that. The latest release in Search & Find brings clinical staff into the picture with visual, intuitive tools that answer the question that matters in the moment: where is the nearest available device, and how do I get there?

Clinical asset visibility

A text line reading "Ward B4, Room 105" tells you where something is. It doesn't help you get there, and it doesn't tell you whether the device is actually available.

Search & Find now delivers map-based, contextual answers tailored to what each role needs to see. A ward nurse sees nearby available equipment relevant to their department. A facilities manager sees maintenance status across the building. A logistics coordinator sees the full fleet.

The principle is simple: show clinicians their equipment, not everything on the floor. Less noise, faster decisions, more time with patients.

Improved map visualisation

Updated colour-coded maps make equipment easier to spot across wards and floors. When you're scanning a busy hospital map for a specific device, visual clarity matters — colour differentiation cuts through the clutter and reduces the time between searching and finding.

Smarter category filtering

A redesigned category frontpage lets users filter by equipment type with fewer clicks. Instead of scrolling through a full inventory list, staff drill straight to the equipment type they need. For clinical teams who search for the same types of equipment repeatedly, this removes unnecessary steps from every search.

Tracking precision overlay

A new precision overlay shows the accuracy zone of each tracked device directly on the map. Staff can see at a glance how confident the location data is — reducing the frustration of arriving at a location only to find the equipment isn't exactly where expected. Better transparency about tracking accuracy builds trust in the system and improves actual localization time.

Why it matters

Hospitals using Columna Flow Search & Find have improved equipment availability from as low as 70% to over 98% — meaning clinical staff can see and find the equipment they need, when they need it. These latest improvements extend that visibility beyond logistics and facilities teams and into clinical workflows, so the people closest to patients benefit directly from the same real-time data.

These improvements bring Search & Find closer to the bedside. When every role gets the right view of the right equipment at the right moment, tracking technology stops being an admin tool and starts supporting care delivery.