Product details

This is the first of a two-case series (909-029-1 and 909-030-1). Shanghai Changning Maternity & Infant Health Institute (SCMI) was a middle-size, specialised hospital with a long history and good service reputation among the local population. After a regression period in the 1990s, it moved to a new site in 2002 and started to rejuvenate. In response to the dramatic increase of patient numbers, SCMI continuously invested in the IT system from 2003 to 2006, with the aim of improving efficiency and quality of clinical service. The IT system quickly penetrated into almost every department and gained positive feedback at the beginning. However, disappointment from front line workers emerged very soon. Their major complaints included: (1) a low response speed; (2) mismatches between the IT system and working process; (3) lack of an alarm system; and (4) a low level of information sharing and integrating etc. Satisfaction of the current IT system dropped to an all time low at the end of 2006. Front line workers complained that the current IT system brought more trouble than convenience to their daily jobs. The IT department and management team believed their software vendor was responsible for the current problems and possible solutions, but unfortunately, they failed to get co-operation from the vendor. Dr Ma Jun, the President of SCMI had to decide whether to invest more money in IT progress or not in 2007. This case focuses on the interaction between operation management and the IT system, aiming to provoke comprehensive discussion on multiple variables influencing IT progress.