2 Approaches to Healthcare Shared Services and Their Components
Hospitals today face many more challenges than ever. Those challenges may lead to one solution, which involves healthcare shared services.
One of the challenges is the limited ability of the hospitals to manage the initiative of shared services that are effective.
Another challenge is the limited ability of the hospitals to structure the business case that is effective. Some hospitals also have limited ability to see the executive buy-in.
The hospitals’ limited experience especially in managing the enterprise transformation is another challenge that must be faced.
Two Approaches to The Healthcare Shared Services
At least there are 2 approaches to the hospital shared services you can choose from. The first one is the structured approach and the second one is the advisory approach. The first one, the structured approach, has five phases, here they are:
- Align leadership and engage it
This phase will build a coalition of leaders with a common vision. This phase will also help them to understand the same vision and finally come together to unite.
- Develop the vision and strategy
The second phase of this first approach to the shared services is defining the organizational vision in order to change the plans and strategies. They’re all required in order to enable the business results that are intended.
- Prepare the workforce and equip it
Third structured approach’s phase is when the workforce moves from the current assignments as well as the current competencies. The current competencies and assignments will be renewed.
- Transition the implement and organization
This phase of the structured approach will assess the impact of organizational change that is driven by emerging solutions. This phase is also when the change plans are implemented.
- Communicate with the stakeholders
The final phase of a structured approach to the hospital shared services will include providing clear and timely messages so that the stakeholders will understand and give the feedback needed. The steps of measuring and monitoring will also be in this phase.
Unlike the structured approach, the advisory approach to the shared service in EMEA Healthcare is different. This type of approach has only 2 key components instead of five different key phrases. Both key components are:
- Selected people for the right teams
There must be some teams formed including the healthcare partner team and the experts of commercial transformation and shared services.
- The teams must meet regularly
The purpose of regular meetings is to make them understand all challenges they must face. They will also coach the entire executive sponsors during the regular meeting.
Shared services will help the hospitals to control or reduce the costs simply by eliminating workflow duplication. Healthcare shared services will also reduce the headcount, eliminate the non-value activities to improve the efficiencies, and will align the functions or processes with business strategy.
Also, shared services can also be the free resources for the hospitals to focus on the analytical and strategic functions. It also can leverage energy or utility spend, leverage the purchasing power as well as the emergence of enabling the latest technologies.
Shared services will be the solution for most challenges faced by the hospitals, in the past and today.
