Robust Communication and Program Management Expertise are Musts for a Successful Technology Implementation

Alison Curran
Senior Manager of Professional Services, Omnicell

One of the biggest failure points in a pharmacy technology implementation stems from lack of communication and alignment. Often, the goal and outcomes of the project are not effectively communicated across the organization, resulting in each stakeholder having a different definition of what constitutes success.

The key to successful implementation and adoption of new technology starts with strong program management that can help to build consensus, clearly communicate goals, and leverage KPIs to monitor and measure milestones before, during, and post implementation.

A technology project should start with understanding and addressing key concerns for executives, stakeholders, and end users. Executives will need to fully understand the business case to approve of the project, as their approval and support play crucial roles in the project success. A successful project also brings stakeholders’ contribution, concerns, and interest to the projects, helping to ensure their alignment to goals and objectives. Lastly, the end users who will be most affected by technology and will be using the new technology and processes also need to fully understand and bought-in to the benefits for their roles. The program management team should spend time with these individuals to gauge their comfort level with the project, including understanding the technology and ROI of the investment. These early conversations will help the program management team to develop a clear timeline and establish achievable goals for the technology implementation. These include scheduling and communicating measurable milestones.

Assigning an internal lead to any major technology implementation with many change management initiatives can be difficult for many organizations, as there are operational and potential financial impacts that can result when removing them from their current responsibilities. Pulling together a cohesive internal team to support the criteria of the project can also be difficult, as these key players need to be agile, with deep knowledge of both the organization and the new technology.

As more hospitals and health systems are engaged in new technology implementation, many are looking for external professional services to help drive technology implementation projects. Not only do these service teams bring deep technological knowledge, but often their “neutral” position can help to navigate organizational politics to build consensus for project goals and relieve the strain on internal resources.

Omnicell understands the complexity of technology and the importance of a seamless implementation and integration experience. We’re invested in every customer’s success, which is why we provide dedicated expertise to drive faster technology adoption, accelerating time to value for clinical and financial outcomes. Ultimately, we are helping health systems transform their medication management strategy by successfully delivering communication and program management expertise that advance the journey to the Autonomous Pharmacy.

Learn more about how Omnicell Professional Services are helping health systems to navigate change through an enhanced implementation engagement.

DISCLAIMER

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer or company. Assumptions made in the analysis are not reflective of the position of any entity other than the author(s). These views are always subject to change, revision, and rethinking at any time and may not be held in perpetuity.