Hackensack Meridian Health implemented an automated testing solution using PeopleSoft Test Framework

Summary

Hackensack Meridian Health, in conjunction with their partner SpearMC Consulting, implemented an automated testing solution using PeopleSoft Test Framework for six modules in Financials and Supply Chain, while automating standard business processes, which reduced testing time, reduced cross module dependencies, and improved reporting, all critical to enabling a selective adoption strategy that supported an aggressive standardization effort implementing PeopleSoft Financials and Supply Chain Management across 3 hospitals as well as additional care facilities, while also expanding the PeopleSoft product footprint.

Customer comments

Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH) made a strategic decision to standardize and implement PeopleSoft FSCM that is currently installed at Hackensack University Medical Center to other large hospitals in the health network. In addition, Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH) has invested in implementing new modules to the current PeopleSoft FSCM footprint. HMH has purchasing Enterprise Grants, upgraded from PeopleSoft Financials to Enterprise Financials, upgraded from UPK Standard to Professional and upgraded from Interaction HUB Standard to Enterprise.

On March 1, 2016, Palisades Medical Center merged with Hackensack University Health Network and the strategic plan was to implement PeopleSoft FSCM on September 1, 2016. Within six (6) months, after the planning began Palisades Medical Center went live on PeopleSoft Financials on September 1, 2016. The implementation went extremely well, the command center was closed one-week after the Palisades Medical Center go live date.

Similarly, in 2017, six-months after the planning to implement FSCM at Raritan Bay Medical Center at Raritan Bay and Raritan Bay Medical Center at Perth Amboy, PeopleSoft FSCM went live on September 1, 2017. The implementation at Raritan Bay Medical Centers went extremely well as well, that the command center was closed in less than one-week due to the low volume of calls.

After the Raritan Bay Implementation, HMH began the planning for the implementation of PeopleSoft on FSCM for the Home Care and Long-Term Care divisions. On January 2, 2018, the Home Care and Long-Term Care divisions went live on PeopleSoft FSCM, five-months after the planning began. The command center was closed in 3 days due to low call volume.

HMH is planning to implement PeopleSoft FSCM at five hospitals (Jersey Shore Medical Center, Bayshore Medical Center, Ocean Medical Center, Riverview Medical Center and Southern Ocean Medical Center) on June 1, 2018. To better adapt to multiple rollouts and PUM update management, HMH implemented an automated testing solution from an Oracle Partner (SpearMC) using delivered PeopleSoft Test Framework (PTF) testing tools and delivered PTF shell scripts. In addition, HMH worked with SpearMC on an archiving solution to achieve HackensackUMC data prior to 2000.

PeopleSoft Test Framework (PTF) is in use for six FSCM modules to automate FSCM 9.2 application testing with PUM updates. HMH also automated standard business processes to reduce testing time leading to faster burndown, reduce cross modular dependencies and better reporting.

The PTF solution addressed several challenges that came up with each go-live:

Test Coverage: Limited resources and time, limited coverage
Testing Accuracy: Challenging to ensure accurate test results.
Test Documentation Overhead: Tons of Excels based Manual Scripts and test data
Impact on PUM Planning: Testing overhead discouraged frequency of PUM adoption.

In closing, HMH is continuing to be innovative with PeopleSoft FSCM and is looking to add to the current modules that are installed and expand the adoption of PeopleSoft FSCM. Currently we are exploring implementing eProcurement and expanding the use of Mobile Inventory.

Why it's great

Hackensack Meridian Health has deployed PeopleSoft FSCM to three hospitals, Long Term Care and Home Care each within six months’ time frame from when the implementation planning began.

The reason we think it is great is because we have been able to leverage our investment in PeopleSoft FSCM and the paperless workflow processes we have been able to build in Approval Workflow Engine (AWE). The approval process provides a paperless process that users can track and monitor the workflow process. This solution provided will provide a way for the health network to easily retrieve and report information out of one system, PeopleSoft FSCM!

HMH is not only rolling out existing functionality, we are going live with a new module that were purchased in 2017, for example PeopleSoft Grants.

It’s great because:

Standardized on PeopleSoft FSCM across the HMH network.
Delivered solution to three (3) hospital, Long Term Care and Home Care each in six (6) months’ time from the planning stage.
Delivered a paperless solution to the network.
Leverages PeopleSoft reporting and faster turnaround in reporting.
Continue to grow and expand the PeopleSoft footprint, by Implementing additional PeopleSoft modules; PTF in 2018 and Grants module on June 1, 2018.
The PeopleSoft workflow has enabled Hackensack University Medical Center to implement a paperless environment.
PeopleSoft Test Framework (PTF) in place covering end-to-end business processes
PTF implementation achieved early results:
Total Automated Shell Tests (end-to-end): 30
Total Automated Individual Tests: 244
Test % Automated= 65%

In closing, the HMH team from Purchasing, Accounts Payable, Materials Management, Finance and IT have done a great job to deliver outstanding innovative solutions to meet the needs of the organization, while continuing to increase the strategic adoption and install new modules for PeopleSoft FSCM.

See also

Hackensack Meridian Health issued two press releases on their innovator awards: