Digital hospital: How the PMO organizes project management

Digital technology in hospitals: how to help PMOs organize their project management? What kind of governance? Which tools? In this article, we give you the keys to an interview with Francis Daul, Project Management Office and Quality Manager at the Information Systems Department of the Nancy Regional University Hospital (CHRU). Francis Daul is the PMO of Nancy's Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire, a major player in biomedical research and professional training. In 2017, the CHRU reexamined its organization with the creation of a PMO unit.

digital hospital pmo project management

How digital technology is transforming hospitals

Digital technology has pushed back the boundaries of many organizations, and accelerating the digitization of hospitals is at the heart of the government's plan to transform the healthcare system. E-parcours, telemedicine, AI, the Patient File and the DMP are all part of the ambitious IS convergence initiative of the Nancy CHRU's Groupement Hospitalier Territorial. This pooling of the 11 information systems of the region's establishments into a single solution for each functional area represents an investment of 17 million euros. This convergence is well advanced, and there will be continuity to meet the GHT deadlines.

Hospitals are no exception to the hacker threat. It is essential that they are able to secure patient health data and electronic medical records throughout the ongoing digitization process. Creating clear security protocols for hospital staff and enabling security measures that alert users are crucial to maintaining a secure IoT network. Successful IoT implementation also relies on the presence of a solid digital infrastructure. Maintaining a solid software network and coping with aging digital infrastructures.

IT project management in hospitals: how to consolidate data

The PMO sets up rituals and models dashboards in Excel. This is when the limits become apparent. As many spreadsheet models as project managers, resulting in a huge waste of time (and a risk of losing information!). To remedy the situation, the CHRU's CIO has come up with a solution: consolidate data using a portfolio management tool.

The Nancy CHRU chose Project Monitora French project portfolio management software.

"We were attracted to Project Monitor by its ease of use and modular approach. The Eurométropole de Strasbourg reassured us and encouraged us to move in this direction."

Francis Daul, PMO of the Nancy Regional University Hospital

The project - dubbed " Virage "- begins in 2018 with needs analysis, parameterization and acceptance. The year ends on a high note: CHRU projects are managed on Project Monitor, with priority given to planning. Shortly afterwards, the Biomedical department merged with the CHRU and also integrated the management of its portfolio on Project Monitor.

To ensure consistency and homogeneity, the CHRU follows ANAP recommendations concerning project life cycles, deliverables and portfolio management bodies.

Ongoing projects among the 130 managed (on average) with Project Monitor :

PMO missions within the hospital to support digital transformation

At CHRU de Nancy, the PMO has 3 main missions:

  1. Consolidated project portfolio management (Quality - Costs - Deadlines - Risks)
  2. Project assistance in case of difficulty. Major budget problems? Deadline potentially missed? The PMO steps in without delay.
  3. Monitoring compliance with commitments for Maintenance in Operational Condition (MCO). In other words, the PMO ensures that commitments are met and that services are available (essential in hospitals!).

To put it plainly, he coordinates and enforces requests, budgets and deadlines, so as not to risk putting plants in difficulty.

And for the best possible results.... make room for the Monthly Commitment Review!

Hôpital Numérique: key features of the project portfolio software Project Monitor

How do you ensure strategic project monitoring? The key words: Centralization and Prioritization!

Ensuring perfect balance through load monitoring

For the CHRU, the challenge is crucial: to identify the time spent on MCO - Maintien en Condition Opérationnel - and on projects. Each month, a report is devoted to the project VS Maintien en Conditions Opérationnelles (MCO) share. The aim is to ensure that hospitals are supported in the implementation of their projects. Imagine if all our teams were fully occupied with MCO! Result: more resources, more projects. We need to strike a balance between "Run" and "Build", between enriching the Information System and keeping it operational.

Planning can be tricky at the start! With activity recording, project managers have access to project time charts. This enables them to check the balance between time spent and service offered, and adjust their strategy if necessary.

Finally, the CHRU has the reflex of creating a project for each MCO team, in which the volume of phases versus activities is similar. As a result, at the end of the year, the project manager has a global view of the time spent on maintaining a given software or digital service in operational condition.

Future prospects for Project Monitor software at CHRU de Nancy