BUDGET PLANNING PROCESS

Budget Planning Process

Budget Planning Process

Describe your unit and patient population

“The amount of training and support required to operate a system is an area of concern for the maintenance phase of a project. Vendors often tend to underestimate the time and level of technical expertise required to maintain a system. Sometimes they simply take for granted that the requisite skills are available to the library, or they may emphasize the usability of the system and the availability of their own technical resources to reassure customers that maintenance costs will not be prohibitive.” (Brownell 2002, 12 )

How Will You Determine The Needs Of This Population And The Skills And Knowledge Needs Of Your Staff?

One way to minimize the cost of acquiring a system is to devote as much effort as possible to needs analysis ahead of time. Conduct position audits that determine what staff actually do as opposed to their position descriptions, conduct work flow analyses to identify how processes are carried out and correct ineffective information management procedures. “The reasons for purchasing a new system or upgrading an old one are usually good, e.g. to gain the benefit of a faster processor, improved functionality, and ease of use.” (Brownell 2001, 844 )To ensure that the gains are greater than the costs, select candidate systems best qualified to meet the needs and choose the system that most closely approximates how the organization works. Let cost be only one factor in the decision. Saving a few dollars on purchase can result in spending thousands on adjustments later on.

Make the commitment

Long-term costs of implementing and maintaining an information system should be budgeted responsibly. This requires a commitment of management to allocate the necessary human and financial resources to the job. Commitment includes everything from relieving project staff ...