LINK UP SYSTEM
Workflow Analysis and Scheduling
Documents Enclosed
Section 1Task/Result List3
Section 2 PERT Chart4
Section 3 Gantt Chart5
Section 4Scheduling Constraints 6
Section 5Risks Avoided by Schedule Choice7
Link Up
The project designed and described earlier in our project design and control assessment stage involves development and implementation of a new computer system for the Community Mental Health System to be implemented in 83 counties with in the state of Michigan and its partner agencies. The project will assist in improving mental health care in different ways especially in providing a direct line communication between agencies irrespective of their geographical locations. Since the project will involve providing a secure network, it will better coordination, efficiency and speed up authorization of services for mental health patients within the state. Proper filling and access of medical records play a huge role of improving health care and the secure network will provide a good platform for record keeping. Moreover, the billing through the new system will be faster as well as appraisal of the period required to provide services to a client. Faster and easier authorization of services is bound to better accountability and provision of similar health care within the counties. Link up will further be helpful in maintaining quality mental health by eliminating future briefs and reports in case of patient transfers within the agencies since all patient information will be available in the system and accessible by health practitioners within the state of Michigan.
Question 2
Task Result List
Tasks to be Completed
Time Est. Results
1 Conduct a meeting to identify the agencies as well as counties likely to be affected by the new system. .5 day Following the identification of the staff and organizations likely to be affected, the team will be able to determine the hardware, software and knowledge needs of these employees.
2 Site Coordinators and administrators trained and certified
5 days Site coordinators and other administrators, including myself, concerned with overall training and implementation of the program will be trained and knowledgeable on the scope
3 Counties and other agencies that require certain hardware and software upgrades prior to the implementation of the project engage in urgent procurement exercises. 10 days Counties as well as other concerned agencies will be prepared to adopt the new Link Up system.
4 Meet up with site managers to schedule training dates as well as divide the training groups and the trainers into two. .5 day The groups to be trained from the 83 counties will be divided into 16 groups, 2 to be trained simultaneous. As such, 8 rounds of training to be carried out simultaneously will be scheduled.
5 Management will post the training schedules online and direct communication made to the concerned agencies and staff. 2 day The staff to be trained will become aware of exactly when and where they need to report for training.
6 Sites for training management and technical staff will be set up. 1 day Sites to be used in each of the two initial training sessions will be set up, with arrangements for the preparation of other sites to be used in future also being made.
7 A review of the curriculum, materials and programs to be used in training of management and technical staff will be done. 1 day The materials, programs and curricula to be used in training will be revised and ready.
8 Training of management staff will take place in rounds, with a total of 8 sessions being carried out simultaneously in 2 different locations occurring (A total of 16 groups trained). 16 days Technicians and upper management will be prepared to implement and use the new Link Up system, as well as train other employees.
9 Upper management and technicians, who will have participated in training, will prepare and submit schedules for training of employees from the individual centers, agencies and counties (all 83). 1 day Schedules and timetables for the training of employees from the 83 counties and partner agencies will be ready.
10 A review of schedules materials and curricula to be used in the training of employees from the different counties will be done and approved .5 day Counties and agencies will be ready to carry out training sessions.
11 Initial training of employees will take place simultaneously in different counties and agencies over an extended period. 30 days Employees will become aware of what the program entails as well as how to use the new system that will be in place.
12 Site administrators and trainers from individual counties and agencies, will meet management in order to add any new employees that may have come in between training sessions 5 days New employees will continuously be added into the training schedule and be incorporated into the employee roster so as to ensure 100% training for employees.
13 Management to update employees at weekly team meetings and include practice sessions to further enhance an understanding and the adoption of the new program. 20 days Employees will become aware of any changes in training schedules or program
14 All employees will be entered into the Link Up system and necessary permissions and securities set 2 days The employees to use the system as well as their levels of permissions will be set and the employees made aware.
15 A beta test run shall be instituted involving up to 10 counties and agencies, with some employees being used as model patients. 1 day Glitches and potential problem areas shall be identified.
16 Revision and correction of glitches and problem areas, as well as the establishment of a team of technicians to help in solving any future problems shall be done. 3 days Adjustments to the Link Up system will occur and a technical support team selected.
17 Submission of a completion report to Community Mental Health Services Regional office shall be done. 1 day The project will be ready for implementation.
18 The Link up program will be implemented 1 day The Mental Health system in the state of Michigan will change to Link Up and direct communication between all the service providers done.
19 Continuous appraisal and improvement of the system will be done. Open The system will be upgraded continuously.
2433320267335Identification of agency, county and knowledge needs (0.5 days)
Identification of agency, county and knowledge needs (0.5 days)
PERT Chart
-5086352380615Meeting with site managers for scheduling of technicians and upper management training (0.5 days)
Meeting with site managers for scheduling of technicians and upper management training (0.5 days)
51758855986780Submissions to the Community Mental Health Services Regional office (1 day)
Submissions to the Community Mental Health Services Regional office (1 day)
27787607526655Beta Test run (1 day)
Beta Test run (1 day)
-2933707582535Enrollment of all employees into the Link Up system (2 days)
Enrollment of all employees into the Link Up system (2 days)
-5086356485890Addition of new employees to the roster and training schedule (5 days)
Addition of new employees to the roster and training schedule (5 days)
26549356835140Weekly updates for employees(20
Weekly updates for employees(20
-5086355497830Training of technical staff and upper management (16 days)
Training of technical staff and upper management (16 days)
-4483104697095Review of training material and program (1 day)
Review of training material and program (1 day)
-5086353234690Posting of training schedules (2 days
Posting of training schedules (2 days
-4483103981450Setting up of training sites (1 day)
Setting up of training sites (1 day)
45764457009130Implementation of the Link Up project (1 day)
Implementation of the Link Up project (1 day)
48393354590415Correction of any potential glitches, and the establishment of a support team. (3 days)
Correction of any potential glitches, and the establishment of a support team. (3 days)
25590505986780Initial training of employees (30 days)
Initial training of employees (30 days)
25590505085715Review and revision of the submitted material (0.5 days)
Review and revision of the submitted material (0.5 days)
25590503653790Preparation, and submission of training schedules for employees by the trained staff. (1day)
Preparation, and submission of training schedules for employees by the trained staff. (1day)
35883851595755Procurement of software and hardware required (10 days)
Procurement of software and hardware required (10 days)
-2933701595755Training of site administrators and management (5 days)
Training of site administrators and management (5 days)
Gantt Chart
ID Task Name Start Finish Duration Feb. March April May June July Aug. September October
1 Agency Iden 25 Feb 25 Feb 0.5d 2 Training 26 Feb 2 Mar 5days 3 Procuremen 26 Feb 7 Mar 10 days 4 Meeting 8 Mar 8 Mar 0.5 days 5 Schedule P. 9 Mar 10 Ma 2 days 6 Training Site 11 Mar 11Mar 1 day 7 Review 12 Mar 12 Ma 1 day 8 Training 13 Mar 29 Ma 16 days 9 Schedule 30 Mar 30 Ma 1 day 10 Review 1 April 1 April 0.5 d 11 Initial Traini. 2 April 1 May 30 days 12 New Employ 2 May 7 May 5 days 13 Updates 7 May 23 Oct 20 days 14 Registration 8 Mar. 9 Mar. 2 days 15 Test Run 13 Oct 13 Oct 1 day 16 Corrections 14 Oct 16 Oct 3 days 17 Regional Off 23 Oct 23 Oct 1 day 18 Implement. 31 Oct 31 Oct 1 day Scheduling constraints
The project will be designed to achieve a common goal within a specified time. However, the implementation stage is designed in stages whereby every stage is expected to achieve a certain goal within a specified time. In projecting and allocating the time expected for each stage certain constraints will be observed. The following are five main constraints:
All technicians and upper management staff cannot be obtained at the same time from all 83 counties as it would cripple mental health services in the state of Michigan.
Health care system is a critical sector and limiting the number of staff, technicians and upper management available for duty in the industry in the entire Michigan state can have serious negative consequences. For these reason, the new project implementation should be designed in a way that ensures the stability of healthcare system is not negatively affected. During training, each county is expected to provide two health care stakeholders; a technician and a member upper management and during for all counties may result to shortage in the mental health clinics especially for small health clinics for some counties.
There are only two training teams for training technicians and management staff.
The project development stage is designed to provide training to counties is different groups and in different days. Meaning that since there will be two training groups the counties will be grouped into two groups for the training to be effective. Each training team will group the counties assigned in groups of five counties and each group will be trained for one, meaning that each training a team a group of five counties and a total of ten counties will be trained in a day. Therefore, the scheduling the entire project duration consideration will be taken on the training period.
There are a number of hardware upgrades that might need to be done in some counties before training can be done , the time required for procuring these reduces the time available for training.
There are two stages of training to be completed before final implementation of the project. The project is designed to provide training to all the members who will be involved in its implementation. To begin with, training will be provided to a few technicians and upper management members who will act as pioneers in their respective counties. After their training has been completed, they will be expected to design a curriculum as well as a schedule on how they will train the other healthcare practitioners in the counties. The two stages of training for all the members will take time but will be essential in ensuring proper implementation of the project.
The time allocated for correcting glitches identified after the beta test run will depend on how early employee training is completed. This means that training stage will be essential for the project but this will later be followed by a testing or feedback stage. This stage be used to develop a beta test run which will be essential for determining whether the project is actually positive for the health care industry in the state of Michigan.
Specific Risks that will be encountered with using the front-loaded schedule
The project will really on a frontloaded schedule for its design and planning. Front-loaded schedule means that the project will be developed using conceptual development process which with the main focus being on planning using strategic information. Front loaded schedule which is also referred to as pre-project planning schedule has several advantages when addressing risk. This is because it focuses on ways of minimizing risk by analyzing all available resources. However, the schedule will encounter several risks such as inability to tackle unexpected risks that mostly arise for external resources. This scheduling system does not also provide accurate financial statements since it relies heavy on estimates rather than actual figures. Bottom line, the project is expected to be successful under the front loaded scheduling system since the risks associated with the system are minimal compared to its expected strengths.