Amsterdam UMC
AMC and VUmc, two academic hospitals in Amsterdam, have been working together under the name Amsterdam UMC for some time. Each location has its own specializations that are now combined by literally crossing ‘over the Amstel.’
Amsterdam UMC is a leading university medical center that combines high-quality complex patient care with innovative scientific research and education for the next generation of healthcare workers. The hospital strongly believes that healthcare, research, and education belong together, shaping and nurturing each other.
With over 12,000 staff members, the various locations of Amsterdam UMC are committed to accessible and quality care. The focus is on disease prevention and providing the best treatments, with special attention to complex and rare conditions.
In January 2024, after the merger between VUmc and AMC, Amsterdam UMC took a significant step in improving their workforce planning and scheduling by implementing ORTEC Workforce Scheduling (ORTEC WS). We spoke with Bart Janssen, HR automation manager at Amsterdam UMC, Jacques van Groen, HR IT consultant at Amsterdam UMC, and Petra de Borst, project leader at ORTEC, about this challenging and successful project.
A merger of two hospitals: a multi-faceted challenge
The merger of two major academic hospitals, Amsterdam's VUmc and AMC, involves many aspects. In addition to the organizational and physical integration, the systems for workforce planning (P), scheduling (R), and leave management (V) had to be streamlined. Both hospitals worked with different specializations and processes, and the need to harmonize these was significant. Although VUmc was already using ORTEC WS, technical limitations made it challenging to roll out this system directly to the AMC location.
Migration to hosting: the solution
After numerous attempts to integrate the existing infrastructure, it was decided to fully switch to ORTEC's hosting environment. This provided the opportunity for both locations to operate on a single platform and utilize the latest functionalities of ORTEC WS. Bart Janssen explains: “We have laid a technical foundation that encompasses the entire Amsterdam UMC. We approached this project in three phases: making the hosting environment available, technical adjustments, and finally, the rollout of ORTEC WS at the AMC location.”
Jacques van Groen, Amsterdam UMC
"The transition to the latest version of ORTEC WS means we can now offer new functionalities, significantly improving usability."
The implementation process
The implementation was a time-consuming process involving many staff from the ICT departments of both VUmc and AMC locations. It was a challenge to get everyone on the same page due to busy schedules. Petra de Borst from ORTEC describes the migration process: “We started in 2020 with the challenge of getting all involved ICT staff aligned. After a ‘proof of concept’ in 2022, we decided in 2023 to definitively opt for the hosting solution. We followed a tight schedule and went live in January 2024.” Jacques van Groen from Amsterdam UMC adds: “The transition to the latest version of ORTEC WS means we can now also offer new functionalities such as Manager Self Service and Employee Self Service. This has greatly improved usability.”
Areas for improvement
During the process, the team encountered various challenges. Financial implications and technical barriers led to adjustments in the original plans. Collaboration between the ICT teams of both hospitals was crucial but not always straightforward. Bart Janssen: “We fell into the trap of technicians eager to implement a solution. You want it to work. Two organizations needed to technically collaborate. Since we consistently saw light at the end of the tunnel, we persevered.”
Bart Janssen, Amsterdam UMC
"Now that we operate on the latest version of ORTEC WS, we can respond much better to the needs of the organization and think along with future developments."
Future plans
The go-live of ORTEC WS ensured a seamless transition without major issues. Users are pleased with the new app and the accessibility of the system via laptop, mobile, and tablet. “The feedback has been positive; we haven’t received any negative comments, which means we’re on the right track!” says Jacques. Bart looks optimistically toward the future and adds, “Now that we are on the latest version of ORTEC WS, we can respond better to the organization's needs and think along with future developments. This project has been successful thanks to the good collaboration among all involved parties.” Petra further notes, “The project is also truly a success due to the high degree of flexibility of the team. We can now contribute much more effectively to improvements in scheduling and personnel management.”
With the successful implementation of ORTEC WS, Amsterdam UMC has laid a solid foundation for efficient and integrated workforce planning, which significantly contributes to the quality of care they can provide. Through close collaboration and the team's flexibility, they can now respond to future developments and continue to lead in healthcare.
