Preparation Before Procurement: The Real Cost of Rolling Out an EMR Before You're Ready
By Michael O’Connor, Australia Principal
One of the biggest misconceptions about EMR programmes is that they are primarily technology projects. They are not.
The most successful EMR implementations are organisational transformation programmes that require equal focus across three domains: people, process and technology.
Through our current work supporting EMR readiness in the Australian public health sector, we keep seeing the same pattern. Organisations focus heavily on software selection while underestimating the foundational readiness required across all three.
People - Successful EMR programmes depend on leadership alignment, workforce capability, clinical engagement, governance and change readiness. Without clinician buy-in and a strong adoption strategy, even the best technology will struggle to deliver value.
Process - Digitising inefficient workflows rarely improves outcomes. EMR readiness is the opportunity to assess and redesign clinical and operational workflows, reduce variation, improve interoperability and align to future models of care.
Technology - Infrastructure, integration capability, cybersecurity, identity management, end-user devices, application rationalisation and data quality all shape implementation success. End-user devices in particular are often underestimated, despite being the primary interface between clinicians and the EMR experience. And many health services carry significant legacy complexity that needs to be understood early.
In our experience, the organisations achieving the strongest outcomes are those investing in readiness before procurement and implementation begins.
Readiness does not always require a large-scale transformation programme from day one. Even targeted assessments can help health services identify risks and dependencies early, prioritise investments, improve funding readiness, align stakeholders and establish practical implementation roadmaps.
In the current environment, many health services may not yet have funding for a full EMR implementation, but they can absolutely begin preparing strategically.
The organisations that start this work early will be in a much stronger position when the time comes to move.
EMR readiness is a conversation we're having with health services in multiple geographies right now. Across the UK, the NHS is actively working through readiness for the next wave of EMR adoption, and we're seeing similar questions surface across Australia and Canada.
If you are thinking about EMR (whether you're early in the conversation or deep into procurement and want a fresh pair of eyes) our teams across the UK, Australia and India would be glad to talk. Message me if you'd like to set something up.
Michael O'Connor is a Principal at Tektology based in Australia, specialising in operational transformation, Lean systems and large-scale performance improvement. With a background spanning Toyota, EY and global consulting, he works with organisations to translate strategy into sustainable operational change.