It Failures free essay sample

Project Implementation Failures HCS/483 September 19, 2012 Dr. Alex Kadrie IT Project Implementation Failures An IT implementation process can be long and tedious, or short and simple, depending on the size and needs of an organization. While implementing this process it is important to understand the roles and responsibilities of each step. Sometimes when the process is not thought out correctly, IT failures happen. IT failures are common reasons that systems do not work, or have many flaws. Implementation Process The time and resources needed to implement a new health care information system can vary considerably based on the scope of the project, the needs and complexity of the organization, the number of applications being installed, and the number of user groups involved. † (Wager, Lee, Glaser, 2009). The first part in implementing a system is to first assign a team of professionals within the organization. The responsibility and role of the team would be to plan, coordin ate, budget, and manage the new system set up. We will write a custom essay sample on It Failures or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The team should determine what the objectives and goals of the new system should be. After this the next step is to develop and implement the process. Some major steps should include how long each activity should take, resources and budget, and ways to alleviate completion and success. Components of an implementation plan are workflow and analysis, system installation, staff training, conversion, communication, and a go-live date. The size and needs of an organization is what determines the type of system that will be needed. In the Memorial Health System case the process that was used to implement a new information system was poorly thought out. The process described in the case study failed to include fundamental activities such as workflow and analysis of the system. The organization failed to review and evaluate the existing system before trying to implement a new one. Sitting with the employees and analyzing what kinds of changes are needed would make it easier to determine what is needed. In the case study of Memorial Health system, project failures manifested themselves while trying to implement a new system. Lack of clarity of a project is one failing indicator. Although the CEO was determined to have the system up and running in the remaining months of the implementation, it was unclear to the project manager the point of the project if the system was not ready. Other indications are insufficient leadership support and candor, because with all the issues that the project manager had, she should have been able to talk to her boss about the lack of manpower and money to complete the system on time. Dr. Sparks was not open to hear bad news. I would have spoken with the manager to figure out what was wrong and to help solve the problem instead of ignoring the fact that something was wrong. Organizational inertia is a problem as some of the physicians did not want to incorporate a new system because they felt as though it would put more stress on their workload and turn them into more like secretaries than doctors. Along with these indicators is also lack of an appropriate reward system. Physicians can be awarded for many things, but at times when the small things matter the most there is no reward. For me I would have given more initiative for help with the system for all staff to be on board with the new system. Initiative undernourishment was also a problem because of the huge demand of work needed to be done with little staff instead of the right number of employees to get the work done on time. The implementation process of a new health information system has many steps to ensure this done correctly. Many fundamental elements of an information system implementation cause an organization to fail. Causes such as lack of candor, reward systems, lack of clarity and initiative undernourishment make it hard to implement a system without failure. If the proper steps are taken, and the right process is followed a health transition to a new system can be accomplished. Reference Wagner, K. A. , Lee F. W. , Glaser, J. P. (2009). Health care information system: A practical approach for health care management (2nd ed. ). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.