We recognize that there are a myriad of choices available for Information Technology (I.T.) consulting services.  Please read on to learn about how LaPlant Consulting Group differentiates itself in terms of our approach to delivering I.T. services to support your organization.


Vendor Selection Services

All too often, vendor selection projects deteriorate into the production and regurgitation of an esoteric 1,000 page RFP checklist that leaves a project steering committee confused and overwhelmed with detail. Our approach to vendor selection is to spend time with your team to analyze the key strengths and weaknesses of your current system, document the key workflow/work product improvements expected from a new system and to then develop detailed scripted demonstrations which provide your team with the ability to assess HOW a critical function is performed. We produce the RFP in such a way that the vendor’s responses to mission-critical required functions or project assumptions become the basis for building performance-based protections and payment milestones in the final contract.


Contract Negotiation Services

The devil is in the detail.  Few hospitals truly operate in an integrated, single vendor environment. Much of the technical risk in any systems implementation project are the interfaces required to integrate with your current systems, data and workflows. We will work with your technical staff in advance to identify these and other project risk factors and build performance-based protections and payment milestones in the contract based upon the successful completion of these major project risk factors. Our team has experience in negotiating contracts with most of leading HIS vendors including Cerner, Meditech, Siemens, IDX, McKesson, Lawson and PeopleSoft among others.


I.T. Strategic Planning and Budgeting

In addition to helping an organization develop a roadmap for future technology investment based upon user needs assessment and return on investment analysis, we believe that our I.T. planning services offer unique value by building detailed future capital and operating cost models for the maintenance and enhancement of your current technology as well. Often times, organizations underestimate the skills, resources, technical dependencies and costs associated with maintaining their current production systems into the future.  The results of your planning process will fully meet the JCAHO IM standard requirements.


Project Management Services

Our project management consultants bring to the table their years of experience with Big 5 structured systems implementation methodology blended with practical hands-on experience using various HIS vendor implementation methodologies. Since our team consists only of healthcare experienced professionals, your project team will benefit from their knowledge of healthcare operations and their experience with HIS vendors. Taking advantage of our “battle scars” will help your project teams identify, avoid and overcome obstacles and stay on track to deliver maximum results. There is no substitute for having “been there and done that.”


Systems Implementation Services

Our team has extensive experience in the implementation and support of patient accounting and other financial systems from leading HIS vendors such as Meditech, McKesson, Siemens, IDX, EPIC, Lawson, Cerner and NDCHealth. We can provide technical or functional analysts to augment your team.
Another service to consider is our team’s experience in maintaining legacy financial applications post-live or during implementation of the new system. A common problem faced by organizations not performing a detailed historical conversion is the growth in AR days on their legacy system given the divided focus of their staff between building the new system and supporting the old system. We can provide experienced system management resources to support your legacy systems as your team focuses on installing the new system.

Although the bulk of our experience is with financial applications, through our partnerships with other healthcare consulting professionals, we can serve as the single point of accountability to supply other vendor, application or technical experience as you require. We are also confident that our knowledge of the financial and registration modules of these leading HIS vendors will make us a cost effective resource to help you install other modules from these same vendors—our learning curve will be greatly reduced.

Interim Staffing or Management

Our team can help augment your I.T. department’s resources on an interim basis in roles ranging from systems analysis or functional analysis through interim Manager, Director or CIO positions. Consider this service in conjunction with our I.T. Recruitment services. When providing interim support, our goal is to help you recruit or develop a permanent candidate instead of creating a long-term dependency on our staff to supplement your resources at much higher operating costs.


I.T. Staff Recruitment

Have you ever worked with a recruiter who was paid a percentage of the candidate’s annual salary? Have you ever felt as if the recruiter was negotiating against you in terms of deciding what to offer the candidate? Have you ever been frustrated with local recruiters who have little understanding or knowledge of HIS vendors or healthcare skill sets? Have you ever been looking for specific HIS vendor experience and been frustrated with the lack of qualified candidates despite running local ads for weeks on end? In our previous lives, we have all been in positions where we could answer “yes” to all of these questions.

Our team has professional contacts with healthcare and HIS vendor organizations across the country. Our approach requires a small retainer upfront; however, the remaining fee is a contingent flat fee per position at far less than the 25-40% of the 1st year’s salary demanded by most recruiters. We know healthcare. We know HIS. We won’t waste your time by “spamming” resumes at you "hoping" for a fit. We will contact, screen and qualify the candidates before referring them to you. As such, we will act as an extension of your management team and recruiting department so that searches can move forward expediently even as your team is engrossed in other priorities.