Charleston Reporter

Carolinas Hospital System issued the following announcement on January 18.

Editor's Note: This is an update on the adoption of OurDay, the new cloud-based platform that will improve and integrate MUSC’s operational systems.

OurDay is a Workday enterprise resource planning tool, or ERP, that will go live for MUSC in fall of 2022 and has been years in the making. It is designed to bring systems and technology together into a single platform for HR, finance and supply chain activities.

“So,” you might ask, “what does this mean for me?” When the system goes live in the fall of this year, it is likely that you will see and experience changes with important foundational work, such as entering time, submitting invoices and running reports. OurDay will connect systems and people in ways they’ve never been connected before and improve how we complete daily tasks. Think: I can now do things faster and more efficiently. 

“The functionality at the users’ fingertips on their phones or laptops will streamline human resource, payroll, expense reimbursement and financial performance awareness. Like most things good, change is hard. I am excited about this new offering in the making and am very proud of the three entities collaborating as OneMUSC,” said Lisa Goodlett, OurDay executive sponsor and chief financial officer of MUSC Health.

OurDay is one of the first significant outcomes of the OneMUSC strategic plan and marks one of the largest operational changes for our organization. 

“For me, the toughest part of this project journey is navigating the different stages of change. In my mind, the first stage is the most difficult; the middle can feel chaotic, and the end is what makes it all worth it. We are somewhere between the first two stages,” said Shannon Ravenel, OurDay training, organizational readiness and communications (TORC) team lead and executive director for Innovation and Optimization, MUSC Health Finance.

The project is halfway through its two-year implementation schedule and will “go live” in October of 2022. The OurDay project team, which comprises more than 300 team members, has recently completed the “Imagine” phase, where MUSC subject matter experts discussed how to design the OurDay system, simplify and improve operational processes and identify areas of change. 

Mike McGinnis, OurDay steering committee chair and assistant provost for Finance and Administration, is proud of the work that has been done to date. “We have done great work so far, and there is a lot of hard work still to come. We have an outstanding team that is dedicated to the project’s success. It has been exciting to see how the MUSC enterprise has come together to work collaboratively to ensure its success.”

Some employees have embraced the role of change champions - communicators and advocates who will serve as conduits to share information across departments and areas. 

Jennifer Nall, associate dean and chief of staff, College of Medicine, is one of nearly 50 change champions that meets monthly to troubleshoot any issues around messaging, roadblocks or anticipated areas that need attention. 

“I’m excited that MUSC has chosen to invest in the future of our organization in a meaningful way with the implementation of OurDay across the enterprise. Change on this scale can seem overwhelming at times, but I am encouraged by the high level of engagement to ensure OurDay meets the needs of the organization and our employees,” said Nall.

Now through the fall, the project will continue to move through the “Deliver” phase. During this time, the system will be configured, tested, refined and shared with the enterprise via communications and training. 

Another OurDay steering committee member, Stewart Mixon, chief operating officer, MUSC, sees light at the end of a very long tunnel. “I have been working toward a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform my entire career at MUSC - almost 20 years. It is something that we have needed for a very long time, but due to many factors, we just couldn’t make it happen. Given the OneMUSC strategic initiative, and the support of executive leaders throughout the enterprise, the timing is right to see this endeavor come to fruition.” 

OurDay will replace nearly 40 disparate systems and improve technology in the areas of finance, human resources and supply chain. To that end, MUSC has partnered with Deloitte, which has worked with numerous peer institutions to implement a similar platform. Deloitte is integrated seamlessly with the MUSC OurDay project team, providing necessary counsel and best practices along the way. 

Project team members recognize that changes to our processes and systems will have a big impact on care team members, faculty and staff alike. These changes will be shared in more detail with the MUSC community as they are finalized, beginning this spring. You can expect regular newsletters, meetings, intranet updates and more to learn about OurDay and share questions or feedback as we move forward.

“The key to OurDay’s success is collaboration. It is up to each of us to work together and embrace the change in order to realize the end result. The implementation of OurDay is our pathway to transform the way we work, collaborate with one another and connect to MUSC’s mission,” said Ravenel.

For information, visit OurDay or send questions via email to ourdayquestions@musc.edu.

Original source can be found here.