Technology Is Nothing Without Process

Technology is Nothing Without Process

Technology in itself is a good thing, when it comes to increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of a business. However, what would technology be if people don't use it properly or to its full potential? Furthermore, imagine what how efficient the business would be if good technology is coupled with good processes. Implementing this system means there has to be reengineering for the company.

The reading for this lecture is about how the nurses at Wilmington Hospital, and eventually, Christiana Hospital, adapted to the new technology (Bed Xpress and Management Dashboard) and work process after their initial opposition to it Ð'- and how the hospitals benefited from this. I have to say that this reading gave me really familiar nuances. The nurses who opposed using the new technology themselves reminded me of some government employees here in the Philippines, who still refuse to have the Internet installed in their offices because they don't see a use for it. It really is hard to teach an old dog new tricks, and not a lot of people want to accept change in the way they do their work. This makes it really tricky to introduce new concepts and processes when you're an employer.

I was really surprised with the way the two hospitals managed their bed-cleaning before the process was introduced. The system was really inefficient, the way that they only clean beds when someone needed them, AND with no assignment system at that. That way, no one was accountable and there was no responsibility involved. Because, no one really wanted to do the job, so there had to be eight to ten calls before someone came to clean the beds. Leaving it like that was a problem just waiting to happen. The hospital relied on the "pull" instead of a JIT system.

Bed XPress Dashboard was such an efficient system. Imagine, from relying on eight to ten calls, the nurse in charge of the patient can just press one button and then there would immediately be someone who was placed assigned to clean the bed Ð'- thus there is a certain responsibility placed for someone and there was accountability involved. The system improved greatly.

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