Becker's Hospital Review

December 2016 Issue of Becker's Hospital Review

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19 Executive Briefing can often be quickly deployed and prompt- ly deliver value. By deploying a cloud-based system for human resources, finance and supply chain, healthcare organizations can gain the insights required to make more real-time decisions regarding hiring needs or spend, allowing resources to be rede- ployed to more value-add projects. The goal of these cloud-based systems is to cre- ate sustainable benefits by providing staff with more direct access to information and increased automation. Workday healthcare customers are using cloud solutions to provide department managers with real-time visibility to their costs and information about their staff. They are empowered to initiate person- nel and organization changes or approve transactions like purchase requisitions and expense reports online, which saves multiple manual steps and backlog. Workday's mobile solutions enable em- ployees to access the system anytime, anywhere, and to fully deliver on the vi- sion of self-service by gaining quick ac- cess to check on pay information or re- port time off, which allows them to spend more time on patient care. Can you describe how cloud platforms can be used to manage productivity in wake of physician and workforce shortages? KL: Simply put, legacy systems are hold- ing back healthcare providers' ability to manage their current and future talent needs. As competition for talent increases and employee engagement moves to the forefront, today's HR leader needs a fully integrated solution to support recruiting, onboarding, performance management and succession planning to ensure a com- plete picture of workforce planning needs. In addition to the end-to-end integrated HR systems, cloud solutions also empow- er employees by giving them more di- rect access to information. Key areas of operations, such as finance and supply chain, are also at risk for filling the talent gap. The more a health system automates processes for procurement, payables, and financial reporting, the greater the impact on overall workforce productivity for those dependent upon the services of these key functions. Many IT departments are burdened with managing legacy, on-premise systems that require costly software and hardware upgrades that do not always deliver val- ue commensurate with the investment. Cloud systems, on the other hand, pro- vide both the opportunity to drive greater initial efficiencies, as well as the ability to deliver continued value over time. How can cloud-based technology help support innovation? KL: Cloud-based human capital, financial and supply chain solutions have the po- tential to directly and indirectly support innovation in several ways. First, cloud-based solutions tend to be more modern and incorporate the latest in best practices and technology, offering greater flexibility to hospitals. For example, Finance leaders may want to formalize ser- vice lines and roll out analytics and dash- boards that provide service line leaders with insights into trends and how they are performing. HR leaders looking to drive engagement and retain the best talent may look to cloud solutions to streamline the onboarding and performance process or to use predictive analytics to identify at-risk employees and help encourage self-directed career paths. Second, true multi-tenant cloud solutions like Workday are always current with the latest capabilities and technology available to the healthcare organizations. So, as the software provider innovates, the healthcare organization is able to quickly use new inno- vation to their advantage. For example, in- novations around social or mobile delivered by the software provider can be quickly lev- eraged by the hospital staff. With industry regulation continuously evolving, it's im- portant healthcare organizations have flex- ible systems that help them effectively keep pace with reform, without the headache of time consuming, costly upgrades. Finally, cloud-based technologies free up IT talent and resources to focus on more strategic activities, indirectly promoting innovation. We're seeing our customers reap the benefits of moving administra- tive applications like human resources and finance to the cloud. In fact, one of our customers has challenged his IT team to apply a cloud-first approach across as many areas as possible, including admin- istrative, clinical, service and collabora- tion solutions. So, instead of focusing on responsibilities like provisioning servers, applying software patches and maintain- ing databases, a hospital's IT team can work on technology projects that support patient safety and care quality or help clinicians better understand the relation- ship between treatment and outcomes. What are some must-haves to look for when selecting a cloud platform? KL: Given the changing landscape and new expectations for finance in healthcare, financial leaders need solutions that sup- port new business models, more efficient financial processes, and real-time analyt- ics. Cloud technology can provide inher- ent benefits in terms of availability, costs, and manageability. However, not every cloud system offers the right combination of functionality, security, and overall expe- rience to address today's challenges. Most importantly, healthcare executives should understand the overall experience of the system over time. For instance, what is the update experience like? How do new capabilities get delivered and implement- ed? Does the solution provider help you maximize the use and value of the solution? In addition to these considerations, healthcare executives should look for five other key characteristics when evaluating cloud solutions: • True, multi-tenant cloud. Is the solu- tion designed as a true, multi-tenant solution where every customer is al- ways on the same version, or is it sim- ply a hosted version of an on-prem- ise application? • A unified architecture. Does the cloud solution share a common plat- form, data model and security struc- ture or is it cobbled together from multiple solutions and technologies that may only be loosely integrated? • Published service levels and secu- rity audits. Does the cloud solution provider offer details on service levels, response times and security policies? • Extensive configurability. Does the cloud solution allow for extensive configurability of business process- es, reports, integrations and other functions, or are you locked into a limited set of features? • Analytics, mobile and social at the core. Does the cloud solution inher- ently provide the modern user expe- rience and tools needed to facilitate the access to information needed for faster decision-making? n Workday is a leading provider of enterprise cloud applications for finance and human resources. Founded in 2005, Workday delivers financial management, human capital management, and analytics applications designed for the world's largest companies, educational institutions, and government agencies. More than 1,000 organizations, ranging from medium-sized businesses to Fortune 50 enterprises, have selected Workday.

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