Analyse this: Business Process Management with Microsoft partner TC Analyzer

NHS trusts need effective information and modelling tools if they are to reap real benefits from expensive business modelling and re-engineering projects.

Microsoft partner TC Analyzer has developed a tool that is already proving its worth in NHS trusts.

NHS trusts are under increasing pressure to get a grip on their business processes. If managers want to introduce new technology, cut costs, respond to the working time directive or prepare for the 18 week waiting time target, they will be advised to map existing processes with a view to streamlining them and eliminating waste.

Unfortunately, process mapping can be laborious - requiring hours of manual data collection from disparate systems and many meetings with frontline staff - and the true impact of change can be hard to determine.
"The ‘what if’ scenario can be manipulated in various ways; for example, we might change the volume of activity or the staff mix to examine what the impact would be."

“Trusts are being told by a range of NHS agencies that they should be modelling their operational processes, but there is no agreed standard way of doing that across the NHS or even within individual trusts,” says Matt Oxley, Director of healthcare specialist TC Analyzer.

“People are holding meetings and trying to plot things with flip charts and sticky notes. Different departments are doing different things.”

“There is no central standard to this modelling and - more importantly - there may be no benefit realisation associated with these initiatives.”

TC Analyzer

TC Analyzer has developed a software tool that can both collect information to give organisations a detailed view of their current business processes and model change scenarios.

The tool, Analyzer Lite, was developed with Microsoft and uses a number of its technologies, including SQL Server for data-warehousing and Visio for process mapping.

“In essence, we create a picture of the organisation that we call the ‘as is’ and which is related to the particular issue that it wants to address,” says Mr Oxley. “We model this in Analzyer Lite with costs and other information to build up as complete a picture as possible.

"The programme was so impressed with the results that it has since engaged consultants to use TC Analyzer to examine other aspects of the pharmacy supply chain"“Then we clone that picture to create a ‘what if’ scenario that can be manipulated in various ways; for example, we might change the volume of activity or the staff mix to examine what the impact would be.”

This gives trusts an objective basis for deciding on options for change, rather than anecdotal evidence. It may also highlight reasons for deciding not to pursue a specific change.

When University Hospitals of Leicester trust used Analyzer Lite to examine the business case for centralising elective orthopaedic services on one site, it concluded that the savings would not be enough to justify the disruption that would be caused.

Analyzer Lite and the North West Pharmacy Automation Programme

Another big NHS project to use the software tool is the North West Pharmacy Automation Programme. This started with a project to install an automated dispensary at one hospital in Manchester in 2005, and has since rolled out in phases to cover all of Greater Manchester and surrounding areas.

The programme has been introducing “pharmacy robots” to hospital sites, linked to their IT systems. The robots use barcode technology to pick from huge stock holders, add labels and deliver medications directly to dispensing stations; minimising medication errors and reducing waste.

It has also expanded to include evaluation of other technologies to improve the medicines supply process. Programme manager Shoshana Bloom says the programme used Analyzer Lite for a proof of concept study at Manchester Royal Infirmary.

“We didn’t just want to automate part of the pharmacy process, we wanted to know what impact that would have on the rest of the pharmacy service, particularly the service provided to patients on the wards,” she says. “We can speed up delivery of one part of the medication supply process through automation, but if we don’t examine and re-design the rest of the supply process the benefits will be minimised.

"It is great to have a tool like this. Instead of scrabbling around in the dark, or working on a gut feeling, you can do proper process planning."“At Manchester Royal Infirmary, there are currently two types of ward service - a traditional, pharmacist-led service and one using greater input from ward-based technicians. We wanted to know whether this created a more cost effective and efficient service and whether, if we rolled out this service model further, there would be a financial impact.”

The programme was so impressed with the results that it has since engaged consultants to use TC Analyzer to examine other aspects of the pharmacy supply chain.

Engaging staff

Ms Bloom says: “It is great to have a tool like this. Instead of scrabbling around in the dark, or working on a gut feeling, you can do proper process planning.

“You can get so far with sticky notes and so on - in fact, that can be very effective in terms of showing people where they fit and the impact that their work has on other people - but it is nothing like being able to put in all the costs and show the likely impact.”

Hospital staff have positively welcomed the process of planning change, she adds. “The project has really excited staff. We have had afternoon meetings for staff and they have found them very interesting.

“It takes them out of the grind of their day to day jobs and they enjoy reflecting on what they do and what impact their part of the process has on others."

About the company:

TC Analyzer specialises in providing business and technology solutions to the healthcare sector. Analyzer Lite is a proprietary operational modelling tool that builds accurate business data models that can be used to demonstrate the impact of change on an organisation. More information is available on the TC Analyzer website: www.tcanalyzer.com 

Related Links

* Read more about how University Hospitals of Leicester trust used TC Analyzer as part of its pioneering Pathway Project