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ORTEC Workforce Planning System successfully implemented at Westfriesgasthuis
Published on May 22, 2007
ORTEC’s HARMONY workforce planning system has been successfully implemented at the Westfriesgasthuis. Of the 2,000 employees, over 1,300 are currently being scheduled in HARMONY. “We are already seeing results; we have greater insight and a better overview of the schedule,” says project leader Fred Beemsterboer of the Westfriesgasthuis. The hospital purchased HARMONY because the old method of planning and registration left much to be desired.
Fred Beemsterboer: “Initially, the planning was extremely laborious. We had one employee who did nothing but enter the paper rosters into the system. The planner had no support in the counts, so there was always the risk that unwanted shifts were scheduled in the roster.
What is now clearly visible in HARMONY is that different departments frequently have their own habits and their own interpretation of the rules. We have now created greater uniformity in this. It would never have been possible to get this kind of insight on paper. You cannot meticulously count the hours on paper; nor are violations immediately visible on paper, either.”
Finishing touches
The Westfriesgasthuis is currently putting the finishing touches on the implementation. “With such a project you cannot foresee all the details in advance. For example, during the process we discovered that we also needed a planning solution for the outpatient departments, with which we could harmonise all the people and areas as efficiently as possible. ORTEC also has a system for this, with which we can ensure that the outpatient departments are properly manned at the right moments.”
Logical next step
Leen Westerhof, ORTEC project manager: “It is a successful project, because the approach of the project group and project leader was so positive. The project group made the planning important enough to make the implementation of a roster package the logical next step. We expect HARMONY to save us money because the Westfriesgasthuis now has a tool with which it can give form to the annual scheduling.”
Simple to use
Beemsterboer adds: “ORTEC has already proven itself in a number of hospitals with HARMONY. That was one of the reasons we choose ORTEC. The company has the experience in house. During the preliminary phase of the project, the Westfriesgasthuis could choose from three large planning systems. After comparing them to one another, HARMONY proved to be the best, simply because the system is so easy to use. Normally speaking, employees can use the system after just one day’s training.”
General hospital
The Westfriesgasthuis is a general hospital in Hoorn with 530 beds for admitted patients and a capacity of 208,000 outpatient visits a year. The medical staff represents 26 specialties. Medical specialists are trained at six departments. The hospital is the link in the health care provision chain in West-Friesland; it is within reach of every resident and provides accessible medical care that satisfies the patient’s wishes in terms of quality, comfort and respect.