December 2008 - Beaumont Hospital

Beaumont Hospital improves time management and sets the trend for employee empowerment

Healthcare has changed dramatically in recent years and IT is now recognised as a fundamental part of hospital life. Beaumont Hospital has embraced leading edge technology, bringing computers and IT to the forefront of patient care. Information technology is continuously upgraded at Beaumont.

In fact, nurses at Beaumont Hospital have established a voluntary group "CAN" (Computers and Nursing) to support nurses in relation to IT. According to Pamela Henry, a member of CAN, "IT has the capacity to facilitate lasting change within the nursing arena."

The ClockWise Time and Attendance / Flexitime solution is one of the latest software technologies to be incorporated in the IT upgrade. Effective management policies and proficient staff combined with Softworks' Time and Attendance Solution allow staff to work in a well-organised environment, ready to care for patients. Providing acute care services across fifty-four medical specialities, it is also the national Irish referral centre for Neurosciences and Renal Transplantation. The hospital also offers in-patient, day-patient, out-patient and casualty services, making it one of the busiest general hospitals in the country. A busy hospital works at a fast pace. Good organisation is essential if it is to run efficiently.

Prior to the installation of Softworks' Time and Attendance system, it was difficult to manage the complex shifts, pay rules and regulations of staff at the hospital. As a result, considerable time was spent calculating payable hours and errors often occurred. ClockWise, in conjunction with management policy, has introduced an accurate means of calculating payable hours and has significantly reduced administration and paperwork for the hospital.

Employee Empowerment

Beaumont Hospital chose the ClockWise, web-based solution, for tracking time, attendance and flexitime. A driving factor in the decision to implement ClockWise at Beaumont Hospital is that the system allows staff to access their own information via a standard web browser. Staff can use their PCs to access information on personal records, for example - days worked, over-time, holidays planned etc. They can also use the system to check the status of requests with regard to approval. Not only does this empower employees but, a self-service option like this saves time and money.

According to Lorraine Flynn, Systems Administrator at Beaumont Hospital, "human resource and payroll staff no longer deal with as many routine questions as before. This decentralisation has freed up key time and allows personnel focus on more important issues which at the end of the day benefit staff, and therefore, the patients." For employees of Beaumont who do not have access to a PC at their desks, public workstations will be installed in key areas throughout the hospital.

Phasing In

With such a mix of staff at the hospital from administration, catering and cleaning to temporary staff, nurses and doctors, the management team at Beaumont felt it was important that the implementation of a new time and attendance system would be done correctly. As a result, it was decided a pilot scheme would test their practices and monitor its effect on selected departments. "Porter rules are particularly complex" according to Head Porter, Paul Donnelly, "If the system could work for us, the management would be confident it would work for all other departments." Softworks worked closely with Paul and his colleagues to ensure all wage rules were handled. "Key staff at Beaumont Hospital had a thorough knowledge of the complicated porter pay rules and regulations," according to Softworks' Project Manager, Robert Younger, "and this made it easier for us to translate information to the new web-based solution." Now, happy with what ClockWise can do, Beaumont Hospital has over 1000 staff on the system.

The Way Forward

Beaumont Hospital has over 3,000 staff covering key departments. Currently, hours worked are captured using swipe cards on clocks located throughout the hospital. Management are exploring the possibility of enhancing this service and allowing staff to record hours worked via their PC. "At Beaumont, we are continuously striving to improve the way we deliver care and enhance the environment in which staff work. Softworks is helping us achieve this goal" adds Lorraine Flynn.

Implementation of the time and attendance solution will be carried out in phases at Beaumont Hospital. The next stages of the project will see ClockWise rolled out to catering staff followed by all housekeepers and ward attendants. According to Emer Little of the Payroll Department, "Softworks' Time and Attendance Solution has helped eliminate payroll errors. It simplifies the whole payroll process for me by recording the hours worked by various staff and allocating the appropriate hourly rate to that. It also automatically identifies employee timesheets stalled in the approval process. This has freed up much of my time, leaving me to get on with other aspects of my job."