We recently supported University Hospital Southampton (UHS) to launch its new Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) within the pathology department.
Ash Tailor, our Head of Delivery, looks back on this complex digital transformation programme to share his project management lessons.
The project
UHS is a large teaching hospital with a complex pathology department with multiple specialties, including electronic microscopy, neuropathology and molecular pathology.
In July 2024, it launched Clinisys WinPath Enterprise LIMS to replace the trust’s existing LIMs and embark on a network-wide LIMS within the Southern Counties Pathology Network.
Our delivery team worked with UHS throughout its implementation journey. We provided high-quality project management, testing resources, cutover expertise and communication support that ensured strong governance structures were in place to help UHS pathology met its vision of joining a single LIMS solution.
We worked collaboratively with UHS, as one team, to provide the organisation with the best outcomes and knowledge to ensure it could continue to deliver business-as-usual activities while the new system was put in place.
Project management lessons
A project of this nature is extremely complex. Not only were there many technical considerations to make – the choice of system and its functionality – but it was vital that such a large hospital, with teaching commitments and clinical specialties, was able to continue to provide its core services during the implementation of the new LIMS.
Looking back on the project, there are six key lessons that I’ve taken away from our project management journey:
- Don’t underestimate the resources needed
It’s essential to take a realistic view of the resources needed to support a LIMS implementation. It requires a huge commitment from senior leaders, clinical staff and support teams to get the implementation right – and to ensure success beyond the go-live date.
We used a WAGILE approach – combining Agile and Waterfall project management techniques – to deliver short cycles of intensive work to ensure that programme tasks and business-as-usual duties could continue simultaneously.
Building strong relationships with suppliers is vitally important. Creating a collaborative team that includes both supplier and Trust resources facilitates clear communication and enables prompt problem-solving.
- Engage with all stakeholders
Digital transformation programmes need to be seen and understood by all stakeholders to build buy-in and engagement.
We spent time identifying then informing UHS’s wider stakeholders about the LIMS programme so they knew what was coming, how they would be involved and the overall benefits the new system would deliver.
- Keep it simple
We kept the processes as simple as possible. Our strategy was to go-live with the minimal viable product and build up from there to perfect the solution.
Waiting for the solution to be ‘perfect’ before launch can lead to long delays and systems that are too complex for the entire organisation to embrace. Keeping it simple ensures everyone can get involved from go-live and can work together to perfect the functionality of the system.
- Cutover process is essential
The process of moving from one LIMS to another should be given high priority in any implementation programme.
We organised multiple workshops and established a separate workstream focused on planning how to transition smoothly from the old system to the new one. We also worked closely with the clinical safety lead to ensure compliance with safety throughout the programme and go-live.
- Test the go-live process
The go-live process should not be a surprise to the operational team.
We ran through the launch process with operational managers and hosted multiple workshops to simulate the go-live experience. Additionally, experts like our biomedical scientist, Emily Petow, provided essential clinical knowledge to support finalisation of testing within multiple disciplines whilst providing biomedical science and Clinisys WinPath Enterprise expertise.
This ensured that key team members knew exactly what would happen on the day the new system was implemented, what their role in that process was and, importantly, could coach their teams through it with confidence and positivity.
- C-suite support is vital
The support of C-suite executives at UHS was vital in securing buy-in from the rest of the organisation.
Through corporate communications, presentations and demonstrable participation in the programme, the executives advocated the benefits of the project and led their colleagues through complex change.
By committing to an open, transparent and thorough change programme, UHS reached go-live as an organisation that fully understood and embraced the benefits of digital transformation.
Get in touch
If you’d like to speak to us about how we can support your LIMS programme, email info@ethicalhealthcare.org.uk.
Read this case study to learn more about the LIMS implementation project at UHS.