Healthcare Data Projects Are Won in Week One

A few pointers for getting your healthcare analytics journey started on the right foot

Here’s what week one has looked like for our healthcare clients: heavy preparation, momentum and a dash of excitement. Look, deals that are five and six figures have long sales cycles.

Anyone that does B2B sales knows this. There are tons of sparks flying when these projects launch. Months of audits, board pitches, and executive approvals create a buzz during kickoff.

I’m here to walk you through some of our learnings within the first week of a six figure healthcare analytics project. These learnings have created real momentum for getting the project started off on the right note.

My goal is that these topics help Data & IT healthcare execs launch their data initiatives successfully too.

Preparation is the Project Management Difference

Show up prepared. Before you even start the kickoff meeting, get your ducks in a row.

• Build out a robust Gantt chart with detailed tasks and assigned owners

• Translate the Gantt chart components to Epics and Stories on your project management software (ie. Jira, Trello)

• Write the kickoff schedule.

  • Definition of Success

  • Access, Security

  • External Resources (ie. Copilot, vendor reps)

  • Client Availability parameters

Showing up prepared with an agenda and project management materials is half the battle. These steps let your client/stakeholders know you’re proactive and serious.

Hold a Quality Discovery Deep Dive Session

These are different from sales discovery. Deep dive sessions get into the nitty gritty of a particular report/set of reports.

I like to structure these calls as follows:

1. Focus on the business first. (Ask yourself)

   1. What decisions do stakeholders make with this report?

   2. What story does this report tell?

   3. Why is this report important to the unit economics of the business?

2. Then get into the weeds of the data, update process and advanced logic.

   1. Go over the manual updates in Excel

   2. How are they used with other tools (ie. Power BI)

   3. Dig into BI tool if possible

3. Conclude

   1. Go over complex concepts again

   2. Lay out any concerns or gaps

   3. Manage expectations

   
   

The Shock Value of Data Surprises

Never underestimate manual processes when it comes to data. Excel and Google Sheets are mighty data tools, and their complexity can never be overlooked.

For one of our clients, their update process entailed complex forecasting using Excel formulas. The layers of thought, formula references, and time allocation turned out to be a massive lift.

From a consulting standpoint, these processes are FAR more than the code logic. They’re the bridge that needs to be built to fully automate a report of this complexity. You’re not going to build this in phase one.

Be prepared for extensive conversations with stakeholders to fully understand why they do this. What outcome does this process ultimately unlock for the business?

Most importantly, enjoy this phase of the transformation journey. You’re going to learn every nook and cranny of a given report. These conversations are often filled with relief and appreciation from stakeholders deep in the weeds.

Your help, perspective, and automation abilities are treated with great excitement by these pivotal stakeholders. In turn, it teaches you a lot about how their business runs, how they operate, and areas for improvement.

One More Thing

I think I’ve said this before, but lastly - always account for access delays. Key stakeholders have 14 million things on their plate. Getting access to systems for a consultant isn’t always top of mind.

If I were you, I’d bake in buffer time during week one so you can wait around for access guilt free. Use that time to document conversation details, legacy reports and anything else you can get your hands on.

With these call outs, you’re off to a great start in week one of your healthcare data modernization. I’d love to hear how you are leveraging this advice to kickstart your healthcare data projects.

Join us next week as we dive into:

1. Implementing cost effective data infrastructure

2. Building the foundations of a medallion architecture

Christian Steinert is the founder of Steinert Analytics, helping healthcare & roofing organizations turn data into actionable insights. Subscribe to Rooftop Insights for weekly perspectives on analytics and business intelligence in these industries.

Feel free to book a call with us here or reach out to Christian on LinkedIn. Thank you!