Information Technology (IT) is an important element of management in many companies (Luftman 17). There are many components of organizational strategy. Aligning IT with a company’s business strategy is one of the most important of these components. Such alignments encourage organizational growth. Further, Luftman (17) points out that IT, as a resource, requires some form of governance. The efficient application of IT in an organization relies on its strategic alignment with organizational strategies and governance.
In this paper, the author focuses on the Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS). The system is an IT element at Lakeland Medical Center. The proposal to install this system has attracted a lot of controversy from different stakeholders. The author of this paper analyzes this controversy from the viewpoint of a hospital administrator. The board should endorse the system as it is beneficial to the organization. On their part, employees must come together to support its implementation.
According to Dreyer and Hirscom (23), PACS is an important technological system involving easy storage and access of images. With regards to Lakeland Medical Center, the system would prove most beneficial in the radiography department.
In 2005, the medical facility identified the need to develop the PACS as one of the challenges facing the organization. The proposal requires $3.3 million to be spent in developing the system. However, the board’s refusal to fund the final phase of the project is detrimental to the facility’s overall performance.
As the administrative team, we are aware of the viability of the system, courtesy of the IT department. It is our conviction that the proposal to introduce the system should be approved by the board through the release of the remaining funds. PACS can be accessed remotely, making it suitable for practitioners operating from multiple locations. The system has the potential to decrease patient’s waiting time. A shorter waiting time implies that more patients can be served, making PACS beneficial to the society at large.
As an administrative team, it is important for us to ensure that IT and governance are consistent with the organization’s philosophies. The major concern in the case of Lakeland Medical Center is that the board believes the system is in conflict with the facility’s philosophy of providing pro-community services. However, Dreyer and Hirscom (71) suggest that PACS can increase the efficiency of an organization.
Another major concern is the constant in-fighting among the departments. Luftman (89) argues that successful incorporation of IT into an organization’s processes relies on the cooperation between all the departments. The IT department needs to lead the other departments in supporting the system.
Successful implementation of the PACS needs one to address three major questions (Dreyer and Hirscom 97). For example, how does PACS affect the performance of the medical facility? How is PACS beneficial to the organization from an economic perspective? How best can PACS be aligned with the facility’s business strategy? The questions ought to be addressed to the professionals responsible for the system. They should also be posed to stakeholders, who include employees and patients.
The proposal appears to have stalled due to the inability of the IT department to develop a sound business plan for the successful implementation of PACS. The viability of PACS depends on a proper interpretation of its benefits for the stakeholders. The argument by the board to the effect that there is ‘a leadership shortcoming’ in the IT department suggests that someone is actually failing on their job. The IT department has failed to develop a convincing argument in favor of the system.
Besides, the various instances of jealousy among the staff members and fears of job loss suggest that there are more factors involved. Luftman (45) cites staff unity as one of the factors affecting implementation of IT programs in an organization. The success of PACS at Lakeland Medical Center relies on the unity of employees.
Dreyer, Keith, and David Hirscom. PACS: A Guide to the Digital Revolution, California: Avange, 2005. Print.
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