The Project Manager's Guide to Health Information Technology Implementation

Susan M. Houston

• Publisher: Productivity Press
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9781000441871
• Edition: 3
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Operations
• Index: Business

This book focuses on providing information on project management specific for software implementations within the healthcare industry. It can be used as a guide for beginners as well as a reference for current project managers who might be new to software implementations. Utilizing the Project Management Institute's (PMI) methodology, process groups and knowledge areas are defined as they relate to implementing custom and commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software. The Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is a standard for developing custom software, but can also be followed for implementing COTS applications as well. How will the system be set up from an architecture and hardware standpoint? What environments will be needed and why? How are changes managed throughout the project and after? These questions and more will be reviewed. The differences between types of testing are defined as well as when each are utilized. Planning for the activation and measuring the success of the project and how well the strategic need has been met are key activities that are often not given the time and effort as the other parts of the implementation project.

This new edition updates the current content to better align with the newest version of the PMI's Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), as well as the latest technology and concepts. In addition, this new edition includes additional chapters on agile management, stakeholder management, and choosing the right methodology.

Chapter 1 What Is a Project?

DOI: 10.4324/9781003206668-1

Of all the things I’ve done, the most vital is coordinating the talents of those who work for us and pointing them toward a certain goal.

Walt Disney

The healthcare industry continues to go through significant change with the ongoing conversion from paper to electronic and the need for everything to be integrated. Current challenges for the industry range from outdated technology to cyber threats, the need for interoperability, and the continuous need to keep up with rapidly changing medical advances. As healthcare organizations have an ever-expanding portfolio of applications, there is a need for an overall, consistent approach to the implementation, support, and management of each.

While there are many types of software, this book will focus only on two broad categories: commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) and custom developed. Depending on the organization, these may both be implemented using the same project management processes with some differences in the activities. There has been an emergence of an Agile method for software development which is more of an approach than the traditional methodology. This method lends itself more to the custom developed software rather than the COTS. Chapter 6 provides an overview of Agile, while Chapter 7 provides some guidance on how to choose the right methodology for your project.

Software vendors develop COTS systems with the intention of selling them to a range of customers whose organizational size and structure and whose specific needs, results, and workflow can vary enormously. To accommodate the diversity of their customer base, COTS are often generic in design and highly configurable, allowing customers to make modifications to fit unique workflows. The configuration is completed through tools provided by the vendor. The amount of work needed to customize COTS software varies among systems and should not be viewed as a minor task.

Custom-developed software, on the other hand, is developed with a single organization or use in mind. This software is based on specific requirements to fit a specific need. The development is completed by using software development tools and requires specific skills with using the tools as well as the ability to take sometimes very general requirements and build something that will meet the need. This development can be done internally or can be contracted out to a software development company. The similarities and differences between these two projects will be reviewed throughout this book.

Basic project management concepts are reviewed in Chapter 2 through Chapter 4. While these chapters do not provide an in-depth study of project management, they will provide a review for experienced project managers, as well as an introduction for those new to the role.

The next chapters outline topics related to implementing software and include terminology and concepts that project managers will find useful during implementation of their software projects. While project managers are not expected to be subject matter experts (SMEs), if they understand the basic concepts and terminology, they will be better prepared to ask the right questions and ensure the best decisions are made based on discussions with the project team. Key concepts such as the development lifecycle, stakeholder management, security and privacy, testing options, configuration and change management, planning for activation, transition to support, and measuring your success are also reviewed.

Two case studies will span the book, allowing readers to apply concepts described in each chapter. All software projects are different. There are no right or wrong answers, but some choices are better than others. The project management methodology you adopt needs to be flexible and adaptable in order to fit the needs and complexity of the project and its organization.

TIP

Two case studies are provided with additional information provided at the end of each chapter along with a few chapter-specific questions. In Appendix A, response will be provided for each question. Please remember, each situation is unique, and there is no wrong answer. It is perfectly acceptable for your answer to not match the author's.

A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) Sixth Edition, published by the Project Management Institute, provides a framework of best practices for project management practitioners. PMBOK should be part of every project manager's toolkit as they tailor their methodology to fit the size and complexity of the project along with the culture of the organization. This book follows the PMBOK but provides additional insights for implementing software specific to healthcare.

TIP

• A project manager is not expected to be an SME.
• Each stakeholder brings a unique viewpoint to the project.

What Is a Project?

Understanding the definition of a project is an important first step to understanding project management. A project is a temporary activity that becomes progressively elaborated as you move through the lifecycle and it produces a unique product, service, or result. Because of these characteristics, a project is different from a process. Implementing a new software system is a project, but so are some activities undertaken during the operations and maintenance of the same system, such as upgrading the hardware or software.

Because it is a temporary endeavor, a project has a defined beginning and end. A project begins when a need is identified and ends when the specific objectives are achieved and are formally accepted by the sponsor. A project can also end if a decision is made to terminate it prior to achieving the final outcome. This decision can be made for a number of reasons, such as determining that the objectives cannot be met, the need no longer exists, organizational priorities have changed, or resources are no longer available. Organizations should define what criteria are important for evaluating when to terminate a project.

The temporary nature of a project does not mean all projects last only a short about of time. Projects can last weeks or years, but irrelevant to the duration, every project goes through all phases of the project lifecycle. The amount of time spent in each of the phases will vary based on the amount of work required.

As projects are temporary endeavors, the project team is usually also temporary. Team members often work together for the purpose of the specific project only and, once the project ends, are released to return to other work or projects. A critical consideration for the project manager is that the members may not have worked together in the past. A focus on getting them to work as a team should begin as early as possible once the members have been identified. This is often accomplished through offsite social or team-building activities.

A project is developed in steps and continues in increments. Work is coordinated and detailed through a specific plan that is defined early and updated as more information is obtained. The plan includes a set of related tasks that are modified or expanded as the project progresses. Development begins with the broad scope and becomes more elaborate as functional requirements are defined; this is then followed by system design. The requirements and design are needed to help define the test phase, and the development feeds decisions around what to include in the training materials. For the traditional methodology, this process is very controlled and known during project planning. It is important to note that this elaboration is not the same as the uncontrolled aspect of scope creep. For the agile model, the process still includes defining requirements (called stories), design, development, and testing, but they are managed in a more iterative fashion.

A project produces a defined outcome such as a unique product, service, or result. Some projects may produce a combination of one or more of these outcomes. This final deliverable is what provides the guideline for when the project will be considered complete. As mentioned earlier, if it becomes apparent that the outcomes cannot be reached, the project should be terminated. Defining outcomes early in the project lifecycle also provides direction and boundaries for the rest of the project.

A product is a defined deliverable, such as new software to track the menus and diet orders for patients along with the ability to track the ordering and management of food supplies. In every case, a project comprises all of the work to create and deliver a unique product as in Figure 1.1.

Figure 1.1A unique product.

A service is a deliverable that is less tangible than a product but supports a defined business function. Developing a new training program or workflow for patient transfers are examples of a service-focused project. It is important to note that the project is to develop or set up the service, not the ongoing effort of providing the service.

A project can also produce a specific result, such as conducting research. The presence of repeating elements, such as data collection, does not change the uniqueness of a project. The project begins with background research and a documented hypothesis and ends with the documented conclusion (i.e., a published article or presentation). In most cases, the conclusion, or increased knowledge, is the specific result that defines the end of the project. If this conclusion leads to further research, a new project will begin. The activity of system selection could be a project in itself where the actual selection decision is the result produced.

Project Management

There are many new to project management that might not understand the difference between project management, program management, and portfolio management. Project management will be defined here, while program management and portfolio management will be described in the next chapter.

Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, techniques and tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements, according to PMBOK. It is accomplished through the application and incorporation of the project management processes, which will be defined in Chapter 3. There also are areas of knowledge that help define the management processes, which are required to successfully complete a project. These knowledge areas will be further defined in Chapter 4.

Ultimately, project management is a framework that ...