The go-live of new software systems in healthcare organizations marks a significant milestone, but it’s just the beginning of an ongoing journey. Post-go-live, organizations must navigate through a critical and continuous phase to ensure the new system meets operational expectations and maintains consistent overall efficiency. This phase involves stabilization, adoption strategies, optimization, reevaluating the support model, and continuous improvement. Understanding these aspects is vital for healthcare entities to leverage their new software systems fully.
1. Stabilization
Once a new software system goes live, the initial focus should be on stabilization. This phase is crucial as it ensures daily operations return to normal and the system functions as intended.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Continuous monitoring of daily operations statistics is essential to ensure they meet KPIs. These indicators provide a clear picture of the system’s performance and highlight areas needing immediate attention. Organizations should promptly address any issues if KPIs are not met to prevent long-term disruptions.
Mitigating Issues and Risks Application management metrics are vital tools for identifying and mitigating issues. These metrics help track system performance, detect anomalies, and facilitate timely interventions. Common post-go-live issues include system slowdowns, data inconsistencies, and user errors. Proactively addressing these issues helps in maintaining smooth operations.
2. Adoption
Adopting a new software system goes beyond initial training. It’s about ensuring that users are entirely comfortable and competent in using the system effectively.
Initial Training vs. Full Adoption. Initial training is necessary, but more is needed for full adoption. Users often require time and additional training to become proficient. Therefore, refresher and advanced training sessions are crucial. These sessions reinforce initial learning, introduce advanced features, and help users overcome any difficulties they may encounter.
Improving User Competence and Retention. Ongoing training supports user competence and retention. A positive end-user experience is directly linked to the success of the system adoption. Providing continuous training opportunities, such as workshops, webinars, and one-on-one sessions, can significantly improve user satisfaction and proficiency.
3. Optimization
Optimization is an ongoing process that begins once the system is operational. It involves analyzing the implementation to identify and bridge gaps, ensuring the system meets all organizational needs.
Post-Implementation Analysis: Post-implementation analysis is essential to identify gaps in expected outcomes. This analysis should focus on compliance, regulatory, and industry-specific needs. Addressing these gaps ensures that the system aligns with organizational goals and regulatory requirements.
Planning for Future Optimization: Many optimization opportunities emerge post-go-live, often becoming apparent after a period of operational use. Organizations should plan for ongoing optimization, considering it a normal part of the system lifecycle. This proactive approach helps continually enhance system performance and user experience.
4. Support Model
A robust support model is critical for the new system’s long-term success. It involves reassessing and adjusting resources to meet the organization’s evolving needs, providing a safety net for any potential issues.
Evaluating the Resource Model. Post-go-live, it is important to assess whether the initial support resource model is adequate. This evaluation should involve feedback from leadership and system users to ensure that the support provided aligns with actual needs. Adjusting resources based on this feedback ensures that support is both effective and efficient.
Addressing Support Concerns: It should be a priority to engage with system users to understand and address their support concerns. Continuous dialogue with users helps identify issues early and resolve them promptly, fostering a supportive environment where users feel confident using the new system.
5. Continuous Improvement
Continuous improvement is a proactive strategy that should guide the post-go-live phase. It involves documenting lessons learned and developing long-term support and optimization plans, ensuring that the system is always evolving to meet the organization’s needs.
Documenting Lessons Learned. Documenting lessons learned from the implementation process is vital. These lessons provide valuable insights for future projects, helping to avoid past mistakes and replicate successes. Effective documentation methods include detailed reports, feedback sessions, and post-implementation reviews.
Long-Term Support and Optimization Plans. It is essential to develop strategic plans and budgets for long-term support and optimization. These plans should include expected code corrections, upgrades, and functionality improvements. Setting clear expectations for ongoing system improvements helps align organizational goals with technological advancements.
Successfully navigating the post-go-live phase is crucial for healthcare organizations to realize the full benefits of their new software systems. Organizations can ensure that their systems operate efficiently and meet all operational needs by focusing on stabilization, adoption, optimization, support, and continuous improvement.
Healthcare organizations looking to optimize their post-go-live processes can benefit from expert guidance and support. Contact MedSys Group for comprehensive support and consultation on post-go-live strategies. Visit our website to explore additional resources and related articles.
