Effective technology strategic planning is of major benefit to your community.
A technology assessment and roadmap will assist your organization in identifying your needs, alignment of technology investments with long-term goals, improving operational efficiency, and enhancing team members’ experiences.
The first step in a technology assessment is to identify your organization’s current technology environment. The assessment includes identifying end-of-life hardware and software systems, evaluating your organization’s technology performance, and identifying future technology needs related to care, staff productivity, and operational efficiency. The assessment should also consider ways to optimize existing technology and identify any gaps that need to be filled. Interviews should be conducted with key stakeholders in order to understand day-to-day technology challenges and needs.
Once the assessment is completed, a technology roadmap may be developed based on the findings. The roadmap is based on feedback that is received from the community’s key leaders combined with recommendations based on the industry’s best practices. The roadmap consists of a comprehensive list of technology projects that are recommended to be completed within the next 3 years. The Technology Roadmap should include a timeline aligned with strategic goals, a budget for each technology investment, and an implementation plan outlining the staff responsible for implementation, required training, and any infrastructure changes.
After conducting a Technology Assessment and building a Strategic Technology Roadmap, your organization’s technology partner should thoughtfully execute the roadmap by following these steps:
- Communicate the plan to stakeholders through town hall meetings and newsletters, and form a steering committee made up of your organization’s key leaders and department heads.
- Implement technology investments through a project management team and by working with vendors and technology partners, and train staff and make necessary infrastructure changes.
- Monitor performance by tracking key performance indicators related to care, staff productivity, and operational efficiency.
- Evaluate the results by comparing actual KPIs to expected benefits outlined in the technology roadmap. Identify root causes of issues and take corrective action.
- Reprioritize technology investments or make changes to the implementation plan.
The Strategic Technology Planning process is essential in future-proofing your organization. To make these investments worthwhile, effective communication, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and adjustment are necessary. By following these steps, organizations can enhance care, improve staff productivity, and increase operational efficiency.
For more information on the benefits of Strategic Technology Planning, click here to download Parasol Alliance’s white paper on how to create a strategic technology plan.
If you’re interested in having Parasol Alliance perform a Technology Assessment and build a 3-year Strategic Technology Roadmap for your senior living community, reach out via email to Kati Jones – kati.jones@parasolalliance.com.