This is an in-depth exploration of the sixth topic covered in my initial blog post: Streamlining Your Epic Lab Transformation: A Strategic Playbook (thelabitguy.com)
Starting an Epic Beaker LIS implementation is no small feat. With countless milestones to hit and a ton of tasks to manage, it's easy to become overly focused on your internal Beaker and Epic objectives. However, an often-overlooked aspect that can make or break your project is effective vendor collaboration and milestone management.
While meeting your Beaker milestones is critical, remember that your vendors have their own set of equally important milestones. Ignoring these can lead to bottlenecks, delays, and less-than-optimal outcomes at go-live and beyond. Let's dive into why active vendor engagement is essential and how it can significantly boost the success of your project. This blog is specific to my experience with Beaker implementations, but the principles apply to any project that involves Epic and third-party vendors.
Why Vendor Milestones Matter
Vendors play a crucial role in all the various third-party LIS systems within your Beaker project. By aligning your project timeline with your vendors', you create a cohesive roadmap that benefits everyone involved. Many vendors provide you with a strong project team dedicated to supporting your project's success. This support usually doesn't stick around after go-live, so it's key to make the most of these resources while you have them.
Key Vendor Milestones in an Epic Beaker LIS Project
Mapped Record Testing (MRT) and Instrument Testing with Data Innovations
What It Is: Testing the data flow between laboratory instruments and the Beaker system through middleware like Data Innovations. (See more about connectivity here: Epic and Beaker Connectivity Best Practices)
Why It Matters: Ensures accurate and reliable data transmission, which is crucial for patient safety and operational efficiency.
Blood Bank Information System (BBIS) Validation
What It Is: Validating the BBIS to ensure it meets regulatory standards and integrates seamlessly with Beaker.
Why It Matters: Critical for compliance and for maintaining the integrity of Blood Bank operations.
MRT with Interfaced Third Parties
Examples: Reference labs, state departments of health, CPOE devices.
Why It Matters: These interfaces need rigorous testing to ensure that external data is correctly received, processed, and reported.
Legacy Data Conversion Efforts
What It Is: Migrating old legacy data into Epic.
Why It Matters: Historical data is essential for continuity of care and for meeting legal and compliance requirements.
Escalate Early: Don't Let Problems Fester
One key aspect of vendor collaboration that deserves special attention is the importance of escalating issues early. When working with multiple vendors and complex systems, challenges are inevitable. The key is how promptly and effectively you address them. Remember, escalations don't have to be scary! They are an important project tool that help identify and resolve risks and roadblocks.
Why Escalate Early?
Prevent Small Issues from Becoming Big Problems: Minor glitches can snowball into major roadblocks if not addressed promptly.
Maintain Project Momentum: Early escalation helps keep the project on schedule by allowing for timely resolutions. Don't let outstanding issues get stale!
Strengthen Vendor Relationships: Proactive communication fosters trust and demonstrates a commitment to mutual success.
How to Escalate Effectively
Identify Clear Escalation Paths: Know who to contact within each vendor organization for different types of issues.
Document Everything: Keep detailed records of problems, communications, and actions taken. Use tools like Sherlock or vendor ticketing systems to track progress.
Be Solution-Oriented: Approach escalations with potential solutions or requests for specific support.
Follow Up: Ensure that escalated issues are resolved satisfactorily and that lessons learned are applied moving forward.
By adopting an "escalate early" mindset, you can mitigate risks and keep both your team and your vendors aligned and working productively toward common goals.
Tips for Effective Vendor Collaboration
Early Engagement: Involve vendors from the project's inception and pre-implementation planning to align goals and timelines. (See more about pre-implementation planning here: The Beaker Blueprint: Building Your Dream Team (thelabitguy.com))
Regular Communication: Schedule frequent check-ins to monitor progress and address issues promptly.
Clear Documentation: Maintain detailed records of requirements, changes, and agreements.
Mutual Accountability: Set clear expectations and hold each other accountable for meeting milestones.
Build Relationships: Invest time in building strong relationships with your vendors. Understanding their working styles and constraints can lead to more effective collaboration.
Set Clear KPIs: Establish key performance indicators for vendor deliverables to measure success objectively. Consider the use of SLA's or other performance-based metrics you both agree upon
Conclusion
Effective vendor collaboration is a foundational component of a successful Epic project. By giving vendor milestones the attention they deserve and fostering productive partnerships, you set the stage for a smoother go-live and a cleaner post-live environment. By integrating these best practices into your approach, you'll not only meet your milestones but hopefully exceed your own expectations. Keep those lines of communication open, engage early and often, and don't hesitate to escalate when needed. Your project's success depends on it!
More about Kyle:
With 7 years of Beaker experience, I have been deeply involved in Beaker across 11 different healthcare organizations. My journey has taken me from entry-level roles to leadership positions, managing projects that span from initial implementation planning to post-live optimizations and ongoing maintenance. My expertise lies not only in the technical aspects of Beaker but also in leading teams to ensure successful a successful project.
While my experience has been rich with diverse challenges and learning opportunities, the insights I share in this article are drawn from my personal expertise and do not reflect the views or opinions of my employer or the healthcare organizations I have supported. They do not include or represent any proprietary information from Epic Systems Corporation. The content presented here is my own intellectual property, intended to guide and inform others in the healthcare IT community as they embark on their own Epic Beaker lab transformation journeys.
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