Implementation Methodology

Owned by Mohammad Al-Ubaydli
Last updated: Dec 18, 2022 by Hannah Johnson-Keck
4 min read

Introduction

Our implementation methodology is a framework, supported by tools and techniques that together allow us to take a consistent approach to PKB deployments, defining the work we do together with customers and how we do it. Using a common model across all of our deployments allows us to digest and understand their progress more clearly, learn lessons more easily and improve our practices more quickly for the benefit of our customers and users.

There are 3 main core components of the methodology - workstreams, phases and milestones.

Phases

Phases are time-based, sequential stages of a typical deployment. They are the most high-level way of understanding where in the overall deployment process we are.

Pre-contract Phase

We aim to have Information Governance documentation signed with our customers prior to contract.

Furthermore, we begin the Record Creation and Integrations workstream in earnest and aim to have scoped the work and created an Integration Spec.

Additionally we focus on scoping the deployment, adapting the standard work schedule as required and confirming the PKB and customer-side resource available to be assigned to this project.

Go-live Phase

When the contract is signed we consider the deployment to have moved into the go-live phase. This phase is by far the most intensive and time consuming part of the deployment. As such the majority of the standard milestones are reached during this phase.

It contains all of the work from each workstream that we and the customers need to do to consider PKB to be 'live' within the healthcare setting. This means IG documents being signed, records created, data in those records, registration routes live, communications delivered, training conducted, support routes established, clinical teams live and benefits tracking in place.

There are a lot of moving parts and we can break this phase down into 2 major stages. There are 'Org-level' milestones, which should be completed before we move to the clinical 'Team-level' milestones.

Embedding Phase

The embedding phase provides a focus by giving ourselves and our customers a target to aim for.

PKB can be considered to be embedded in the healthcare organisation if the system is live in multiple teams, benefits are being tracked and crucially the organisation is capable of conducting additional clinical team rollouts.

Workstreams

PKB breaks down the deployment tasks into 8 equally important workstreams, allowing activities to be planned and progress to be tracked for each.

PKB and our customers employ specialists who are best placed to collaborate and deliver on certain workstreams, so splitting out the deployment into these categories provides clarity for both teams on what is required for a successful rollout, and allows the right personnel and resources to be identified at the earliest opportunity.

As part of establishing project governance, we strongly advise that all workstream leads are members of a project board which regularly meet to scope, plan, and deliver the shared plan of work.

Workstreams are relevant throughout the duration of the deployment, i.e during each phase.

Please refer to the Workstreams Overview page for more information.

Milestones

The standard milestones are the key deliverables which all typical PKB customer deployment projects should achieve.

All of the deployment workstreams are represented by these milestones and they span all 3 phases of a deployment.

If all milestones in a customer deployment are achieved, PKB has been successfully delivered, resulting in case studies that demonstrate quantifiable benefits for the customer and users.

Please note: milestones deadlines shown are indicative

Pre-contract milestones

  • Contract signed

  • Pre-contract tasks complete

Go-live milestones

2 months after contract signature

  • Mass record creation complete

  • Org-level training complete

  • Pre-comms delivered

  • Appointments integration live

  • Demographics integration live

  • Lab integration live

  • Letters integration live

  • First mass registration campaign started

  • Ongoing comms campaign live

  • Support workstream go-live

3 months after contract signature

  • Clinical team 1 live

  • Clinical team 2 live

  • Clinical team 3 live

  • Go-live tasks complete

5 months after contract signature

  • Clinical team 4 (led by organisation) live

Embedding milestones

10 months after contract signature

  • Case studies created

12 months after contract signature

  • Embedding tasks complete

Adapting for local contexts

In some instances we may need to adjust the standard structure above for customer deployments. We recognise that customer organisations have their own methodologies, terminology and approaches to delivery.

We aim to offer as much support as is needed for any particular customer, fully 'owning' the project management when it is required, collaborating as equal partners or feeding into a customer's plans. The focus for us is on aligning expectations and delivering shared goals, agreeing at the earliest stages how best to work together to achieve this.