SIEMENS MS4 PRACTICE NOW AT VCS!
Vitalize Consulting Solutions is pleased to announce their newest addition to the
Siemens Practice, the MedSeries4® solutions. Bob Landers, Senior Consultant is
working with our Practice Director, Bob Kline to incorporate best practice methodology,
tips and tricks as well as white papers into our website to help meet your IT enabled
projects.
Our initial Summary of Skills includes but not limited to:
- New implementations/conversions
- Returning installs back to Model – “Get Back to Basics”
- Assistance with release upgrades
- Assistance with backup/recovery and Disaster Recovery processes and procedures
- AS/400 hardware upgrade planning
- WebSphere® and Apache® installs and configurations
- Day-end processing enhancements
- Siemens OpenLink® assistance
- 3rd party billing selections and processing
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or if you need assistance with your
MS4 solutions. I can be reached at blanders@getvitalized.com.
LOOK TO THE PAST FOR THE FUTURE
by Bob Landers
Hundreds of devoted AS/400 MS4 users can’t be wrong! Siemens MedSeries4®
is a solution that many vendors have previously owned, and most have historically done
very little additional development work on the product. Given its strong customer
base and illustrious past, Siemens recently devoted the necessary time and money to breathe
new life into this tried and true solution line. Many current MS4 devotees have chosen to
upgrade instead of switching to the newer Siemens Soarian® line.
MS4 is described as a workhorse. Once installed it just does its job, thus making life easier
for hospitals and end-users. The implementation and file conversion process can be a
tedious job because users must be involved so that the outcome is a system doing business the
way THE CUSTOMER wants, not the VENDOR. Planning and the appropriate methodology must be used to
minimize the implementation timeframes.
There are many variables to an MS4 install. The IT department is generally in charge of
the actual loading of the software, but the building and training come from the departments
where the software is going to be used. Siemens current methodology is trip-based.
They sit down with the customer selected “SUPER USER” and do training on the
application build and how the processes should work together. After “SUPER USER”
training is completed, the responsibilities for file builds are in the hands of the
customer. Once completed, Siemens implementation consultants will come back in for file
verification and correction, once they are clean, the system testing begins. Although the
trip-based methodology has its benefits, if not properly staffed, implementations can drag out
much longer than necessary.
This is where VCS comes in. Siemens has a limited set of resources doing MS4
implementation and upgrades, our goal is to work with Siemens as a partner, or with you as the
customer tasks need to be completed, in order to assist you in seeing a quicker return on your
investment. Our experienced team of financial and clinical implementation consultants,
integration analysts, Project Managers and programmers can assist you in optimizing your IT
enabled projects.
If you would like more information on the startup process of a MS4 implementations, or have
questions on other parts of the methodology, please contact me at
blanders@getvitalized.com.