How do I go paperless?

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Laboratories that are planning on implementing an ELN to move their routine processes and analyses from paper to electronic format will want to understand how to best manage the ELN deployment, given their needs and their available resources, while maximizing the benefits they will receive with the new system in place.

Assemble the Team

In order to ensure that the impact of an ELN implementation project is positive for everyone, it is essential to include representatives from each group within the organization, right from the very earliest stages of the project.

Laboratory management will be responsible for identifying the business problem or problems that the project will be expected to solve, the current cost to the organization and set criteria for measuring success.
Laboratory personnel provide a “reality check” on what will be truly practical and beneficial to the day to day operation of the lab by identifying bottlenecks that exist in the laboratory and evaluating features, functions and capabilities of the ELN.
The IT group will evaluate the IT requirements of the proposed solution, establish technical bench marks for the system, coordinate internal technical resources with vendor resources during implementation, organize internal training and establish requirements for ongoing support and maintenance.
For laboratories that work within a regulated environment a validation group will need to be involved in the planning process to identify compliance and security requirements and prepare a validation plan.
The ELN Vendor should be able to provide detailed information about the core capabilities of the application, recommended strategies for implementation, resources that provide specific levels of expertise and that supplement the laboratory project team and coordination of resource requirements and availability between the laboratory and the vendor.

Set Project Goals

With the team assembled it is now time to clearly define the goals and objectives of the project.

Understand the problem that needs to be solved and how this project will help to solve
Clearly define how to measure if the project is successful in achieving its goal.
Plan for how the success of the ELN project will continue to move the laboratory forward

Including the whole team in setting clear, achievable and measurable ELN project goals is fundamental to communicating the value of the project throughout the organization and will prepare the laboratory to leverage the success of the project and the business benefits it delivers.

Set the Project Scope

With a clearly defined goal we are ready to define the scope of the project, setting priorities for the processes or worksheets that are going to be included in the conversion process and choosing the right level of automation for each form.

Demonstrating initial success with high priority worksheets will provide ongoing confidence and justification for continuing and expanding the project.

Determine which processes should be a priority for conversion

The decision as to which processes are automated first should be based on the success criteria that your team has defined.
For example, if the goal of the project is to determine the Return on Investment that an ELN for Routine Analyses will deliver, then you will want to focus on a limited number of processes that represent a range of analyses, from simple to complex.
If the goal of the project is more focused on a specific problem or problem area in the lab, then all of the processes that impact that area will need to be considered.

Choose the Right Level of Automation for Each Form

Once the forms have been identified for the project, the team can then assess the level of automation that is right for each form. Automation choices can range from no automation (simply making paper electronic) right through to highly automated worksheets that control work flow and integrate with other informatics applications.

The degree to which you automate a particular form should take into consideration the time and resources available for the project and the goals for the project as well as the benefits that automation will deliver in each case.

Build the Implementation Plan

With the team in place, the goals and objectives clearly stated and the project scope and priorities well defined, you will have the information and the direction you need to put together a plan that will result in a successful project.

Resources and responsibilities can be identified and allocated by all the groups on the team
Timelines for IT deliverables can be coordinated with the schedule of the implementation team
Milestones and success points can be clearly laid out and defined
A training plan can be developed that accounts for technical training at the IT level as well as end user training.

Managing Change

Even with all of the planning and preparation that has taken place there will be changes along the way, so an essential component of the implementation plan will be a clear process for change management.

As changes are proposed, the benefits of the change will need to be measured against the goals of the project and the impact of the change on project costs, resources and delivery. Maintaining control over change management is essential to keeping the project focused, on time and on budget.

Learn More in the Paperless Info Center

White paper – Planning a Successful ELN Project
The information provided here is taken from our White Paper “Planning a Successful ELN Project” that provides strategies, tips and recommendations that will help you to best manage deployment of an ELN for routine analyses, while maximizing the benefits you will receive with the new system in place.

Webcast – Planning a Successful ELN Project
View a half hour webcast that highlights the information provided in our White Paper.

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Workflow in a paperless lab

View the Nexxis ELN Brochure