PRE-IMPLEMENTATION PLANNING
By Liz Tantum
What is it?
Pre-Implementation Planning provides the structure and cost/benefit for a project.
Ideally it should be done before the vendor contract is signed so that the contract is
written with a valid and confirmed plan to eliminate surprises once the project starts. It’s
also important to ask the vendor to participate in the planning initiative so that all
parties understand expectations. When VCS leads a pre-implementation planning effort, the
deliverables include the following:
- Vision Statement and Guiding Principles
- Project Assumptions
- Key Strategies
- Project Governance / Organization Structure
- Plan Documents for how the following project phases will be executed:
Process and System Design, Training, Communication & Change Management, Testing,
Change Control, Domain Strategy, Interface Diagram, Device Strategy
- Project Benefits and ROI Model
- Organization Readiness Assessment
- Project Schedule
- Project Scope and Approach Document
- Project Resource Requirements:
People – Client, Vendor, 3rd Party
Facility - Work and Training Space
Technical – Devices, Domains, Servers
- Production Support Requirements
- Project Budget and Cost of Ownership
Who Should Participate?
Leadership involvement is key to the success of the planning process to provide input as well
as participate in the decision making process. The following leadership roles should be
included and at least one of them should be named project sponsor: CEO, COO, CFO, CMO, CNO,
CMIO, CIO, CTO. In addition, leadership should identify significant members of the
Clinical/Departmental Management Team who will contribute to the process.
Vendor representatives who will lead the implementation, scope the technical environment
and manage the contract negotiation should attend selected pertinent sessions during the
planning effort.
What is the Sequence of Events?
Phase one of the pre-implementation planning process is conducted to understand the
organization’s culture, size, requirements, challenges, and structure to provide input to
Strategy Development for the implementation. Each event serves as a foundation to complete
the next step of the process.
Phase 1
Establish Weekly Update Sessions with Sponsors
Perform discovery to review current environment
Conduct Interviews with targeted participants
Conduct Site Visits to facilities
Develop Strategies and Organization Structure Models
Obtain Management Input and Validation
Obtain Leadership Input and Validation
Phase 2
Develop Detailed Plans and Metrics
Formalize Budget Requirements
Review findings and recommendations with Management for Input and Validation
Review findings and recommendations with Leadership for Validation
Define the Critical Success Factors for the project
Communicate the plan to the stakeholders
If you would like to know more about how VCS can assist you with project planning, please
contact me at ltantum@getvitalized.com or
(610) 444 1233.