Controlling complexity......(or,
Posted On 2011-07-25 11:24:52 By Richard JonesIt's been a very interesting few months. The team here at Medical Mosaic have been doing what we usually do - working with clients, developing new techniques, tools, and methods, watching the NHS reorganisation…. and (because I asked nicely), we’ve all made a point of talking to our friends and contacts about Service Improvement. Yes, that includes Cost Improvement, because that’s often the required output – but it all has to fit together.
The resulting discussion, during a mixture of e-mails, phone calls, one meeting near Cambridge and several drives down the M40, was truly interesting. We've been aware that SI projects have been getting more complicated for some time now - mostly because we see our job as making them simple and achievable - but 2011 looks to be something of a turning point.
The simple, well-bounded projects really have been increasingly used up, and there seems to be a clear acknowledgement that next year’s SI and CIP projects will be more and more complex. More complex, that is, in many respects including dependencies, gathering of results, skills, resources, time taken, understanding of what can be done and identification of what results have been gained. And in more demand, as CIP levels really are high.
Somewhere in there, my colleague Russell found himself talking to one of the regions of the Healthcare Finance Managers Association, or HFMA. Helpfully, he volunteered my services to write an article… which wasn't a bad way to spend an evening. I think we produced something interesting and useful, and when we;ve had some feedback, it'll find its way onto this website.
To sum up the article..
Yes, it’s becoming more difficult. Yes, it’s important that Trusts are taking on project offices and hanging onto service improvement teams. Yes, we can propose a structure of improvement projects, enabling initiatives and realisation projects, and governance and support are vital to success. Yes, it's about getting the right people in the right roles and 'hearts and minds' determine success.
But, going beyond the article, the scale of demand for SI and CIP really is very high, and it puts us into a new ball-park. Experience and working knowledge of the 'next level' is scarce. This years shortfalls will be harder to solve and next year’s projects need to be started yesterday. All I can say, in the most co-operative sense, is…............. How are yours doing?