Comments on: ET and Software Demonstrations

By: Will Oliverhttp://www.healthcareitforum.com

Will Oliverhttp://www.healthcareitforum.com — Sat, 07 Jan 2006 06:40:20 +0000

Will, I want to clap with one hand and cry with the other. In one of my previous positions as a project manager with HBOC our sales staff gave extensive demos on vaporware that was scripted with only the working code of the applications. They sold 100s of clients before we had a fully functional product. When it was handed off to me to manage the project, the majority of my time was spent resetting expectations. I eventually left the company because I couldn’t be a car salesman anymore. I still see it today with companies like Omnicell and Cerner. The directive of the enterprise vendors is to sell at any cost. My current company demos and sells products that work. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, we remain a relatively small vendor. The industry’s expectations have been set so low and there is so much distrust that I still experience the same issues with my current clients. They simply do not trust me or the product until we deliver on what we say we will. Companies like Epic are riding a wave because their service is one step above mediocre….It’s sad. My suggestion: put the RFP in the contract, put the project plan in the contract, put the application documentation in the contract, hold vendors to well defined milestones and patient outcomes, and hire a fighter as your project manager. I always use the analogy that healthcare IT is a model T running on bad fuel. The only place to go is up.

By: ripley

ripley — Fri, 06 Jan 2006 14:57:29 +0000

I agree completely regarding demonstrations. They are a waste of time – PERIOD. Also, the RFI/RFP process is a waste as well unless you tell the vendor that any answers placed in the document will also be placed in the contract and implementation project plan. But, even with those steps the time involvement and lack of solid answers leaves it a questionable step. I like to get a listing of reference vendors/partners, etc. and take my time talking with them. Much like an interview. Also, having the reference hospital do the demonstration/presentation without sales staff present is great! After all this then I would dual negotiate with the top two vendors and each would know who they are up against. I have actually been a part of searches where the CIO took a RFP/RFI off the web and it seemed like the answers were never used. A serious waste of time for all parties. A presentation or demonstration can be a good tool to generate interest in the different business units, but it is not a good selection step.

By: bill

bill — Sat, 31 Dec 2005 20:26:41 +0000

Regarding wanting to see a demo rather than read the doc to find out what the product can actually do, I think you’re being a bit harsh. Frequently the doc does a lousy job of telling you what the product CAN do; it just is intended (sometimes in excruciating detail) how to make it do what it can do. Its not an easy position to be in. I just installed a product for a customer and finally, in desperation over being unable to get useful info from the PDF, paid to have the whole manual printed off. I’ve only read about twenty pages, but already found two things that are useful, that I didn’t know it could do. Is it in the doc? Obviously. Is it obvious? Nope.

By: Shahid N. Shah

Shahid N. Shah — Fri, 23 Dec 2005 17:09:53 +0000

Will, what are your thoughts about vendors sharing their architecture, design, and database models? Have you ever asked for them? Were they shared with you? I find that in most of the time when I’m consulting for clients I tend to ask for that material but the client doesn’t seem to think it’s important to get it from the vendor so the vendor shrugs it off. I agree with your request for documentation and I was wondering what success rate you have when you do ask for it.