HIMSS: Project management—myths and commandments for success

NEW ORLEANS—IT project management is an art and science, and careful attention to proven strategies can lay a solid foundation for success, according to an e-session at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) annual conference.

Patricia Hope, MSHI, BSN, RN, lead clinical business analyst at Baptist Healthcare in Louisville, Ky., led the health system through a 26-week implementation of an emergency department solution at five hospitals in 12-week cycles.

The experience, coupled with Hope’s nursing background, provided the nexus for the session. Before exploring strategies for success, she reviewed common myths about project management:

• Once you have a plan, it’s easy to stay on track;
• The vendor’s plan is the only plan needed;
• The project manager can do everything;
• It’s better not to communicate bottlenecks and delays to stakeholders; and
• If you get off track at the beginning you can make up time at the end.

Hope also outlined multiple reasons for project failure:

• The project scope is not well-defined or too large;
• Changes in regulatory, legal or organizational priorities;
• Lack of communications between leadership and stakeholders;
• Organizational resistance to change;
• Lack of project ownership or champions;
• Shifting organizational priorities; and
• Failure to meet customer needs.

Finally, after exploring lack of success, Hope detailed seven commandments for IT project success:

• Have a voice as the project manager;
• Know the products;
• Know resource needs and obtain sign-off where needed;
• Continually track progress;
• Strive for excellence and create system matter experts;
• Be a one-stop shop for all needs; and
• Bond the team and celebrate milestones.