Client

A multinational company that provides a broad range of solutions to manage human resources and employee effectiveness needs for more than 140,000 customers in 52 countries.

Challenge

The client regularly creates custom reports for its customers and was buried under a backlog of over 400 requests. Without adequate resource bandwidth, the client could not reduce the backlog of requests while simultaneously fulfilling current ones. Major technical capacity upgrades were needed, and the fact that project teams were spread across four regions of the U.S. only added to the complexity of the situation.

Solution

To solve the reporting backlog problem, MDI assembled an application development team of six Crystal Reports and SQL developers and one project manager whose goal was to accomplishing the following objectives:

• Analyze the backlog of reporting requirements
• Develop the SQL stored procedures required to generate the reports
• Design, develop and test the requested reports
• Ensure the reports meet user and customer requirements

Results

MDI’s solution reduced the custom-reports backlog by 75 percent and helped the client meet and exceed customer needs with increased reporting availability. The team also created high quality reports with rework rates of less than 10 percent. Due to the client’s satisfaction with the success and quality of the team’s work, MDI continued to assist with additional reporting services.

1. SQL

Salary: $95,000
Jobs: 6,571

By allowing developers to insert query, adjust data and modify schema creation and data access control, SQL is a critical skill for HIT. It helps server administrators maintain and audit database systems where data is stored in SQL format.

2. Java

Salary: $98,000
Jobs: 3,398

With its “write once, run anywhere” (WORA) capability, Java is a critical skill for developers to have. When it comes to HIT, Java is often used to develop embedded devices, remote patient monitoring applications, as well as diverse and robust sensors.

3. HTML

Salary: $81,000
Jobs: 1,732

HTML and HTML5 are foundational building blocks for building web pages and applications. Applications created with HTML5 allow healthcare professionals to access data regardless of the device they use, which increases efficiency.

4. JavaScript

Salary: $83,000
Jobs: 1,471

Having evolved into a prototype-based scripting language, JavaScript is used to develop healthcare applications along with other languages such as HTML5 and CSS3.

5. XML

Salary: $83,000
Jobs: 1,463

Because it provides standard architecture for how documents are encoded, XML increases interoperability and enables healthcare systems to share important information such a patient records.

6. C#

Salary: $93,000
Jobs: 1,450

This multi-paradigm language enables developers to create advanced applications such as electronic medical records (EMR) systems, laboratory information management systems (LIMS), and EMR alerting systems.

7. C++

Salary: $96,000
Jobs: 757

C++ is specifically used in the healthcare industry to provide internal functionality for medical imaging analysis devices as well as back-end programming of HIS systems.

8. ASP.NET

Salary: $88,000
Jobs: 754

In the healthcare industry, ASP.NET is used for creating and implementing web-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) application suites, electronic payment processing systems and healthcare data management systems.

9. PHP

Salary: $81,000
Jobs: 624

In HIT, PHP is frequently used to create web-based secure electronic health record management applications.

10. C

Salary: $95,000
Jobs: 563

Since many healthcare institutions still use computers that run UNIX, C programming skills are still in demand even though it is the oldest programming language on the list.

Three of MDI Group’s markets—Dallas, Atlanta and Austin—are listed among the top cities for developer and programming jobs in HIT. With branch offices in each of these markets, MDI Group is able to use local market expertise to help healthcare IT organizations tackle what’s next by providing best fit resources for upcoming technology projects and initiatives. For more information about MDI Group’s IT staffing services and workforce solutions, visit www.mdigroup.com.

What are the top skills to have in healthcare IT? To read more, check out the slideshow at CIO.com.

Client

A Fortune 500 communications provider with over 240,000 employees worldwide and $126.7 billion in consolidated revenue.

Challenge

The client had hired a consultant from a large consulting company to develop a performance load testing strategy and test plans for its proprietary Web-interfaced system used for order requests, order processing and report processing. However, when the engagement ended abruptly, there was neither a documented scope of work nor any level of knowledge transfer to the client. As a result, performance testing on the system remained incomplete, and the status of work performed to-date was unknown.

Solution

MDI was engaged to provide Quality Assurance with the following services:

• Study the system and work with business and development teams to determine performance targets
• Gather work that was completed by the prior consultant
• Assess the existing status including test plan, script coverage and completeness
• Review and complete the Mercury LoadRunner product configuration

MDI proceeded to perform a gap analysis and create a plan to complete all remaining components in order to execute a comprehensive performance test plan for the system.

Results

Working with the client’s internal development team, MDI devised and created necessary scripts in line with performance targets,executed and refined the scripts and resolved all outstanding issues. MDI documented the scope of work, delivered a final test report and optimized the system to meet the client’s specific performance needs. The client benefited from an accurate and effective performance test plan that had minimal impact on their current activities. MDI also executed a complete knowledge transfer to ensure the client was able to maintain the scripts independently.

What makes a CIO not just an effective manager but an effective leader? While leadership and management go hand in hand, management focuses more on execution whereas leadership is a commitment to employees through influencing and inspiring them to improve performance. In this session, CIOs discussed their strategies for becoming high-performing leaders by delivering results through the people they manage.

There are three key components when it comes to being a high-performing leader—knowing what to do in a given situation, being resourceful and effectively executing the objective. Another part of being a high-performing leader is conveying your message and vision over and over again because beliefs lead to behaviors, behaviors lead to results and results in turn lead back to beliefs. It is also imperative for leaders to foster an environment for mentoring, maintaining an element of comfort and trust while still “challenging up.” Finally, high-performing leaders must maintain continuity in the company’s environment, regardless of attrition, in order to remain successful.

A CEO’s Perspective of IT

How is IT perceived from the top floor? In this session, two CEOs discussed their perception of IT within their own organizations. The perception of IT often depends on the industry you’re in as well as the size, maturity, customer base and business cycles of the organization. Both CEOs agreed that in order for IT to have a more profound impact on the organization, there must be a way to tie what IT professionals do back to the overall strategic objectives and goals of the company. IT also needs to have the ability to adjust its service based on the needs of specific areas of the business.

Alignment between IT and the Business

IT is becoming more and more integrated as an essential and strategic partner to the business team. As a result, C-level expectations of IT are on the rise. For example, while there is certainly a need for technical skills within IT, partnering skills and an understanding of the business perspective is also critical. IT must also be able to anticipate business needs as they shift from order-takers to strategic partners.

A Flexible Bench Model Helps Secure Fluctuating IT Resource Needs

Client

A global leader in credit information and information management services providing solutions to 45,000 businesses and 500 million consumers worldwide.

Challenge

The client’s business caused frequent fluctuations in IT resource needs. MDI’s client repeatedly needed additional resources during the orientation process (on-boarding) for its own clients. However, the demand for additional headcount would diminish once the on-boarding process was complete. With such large and sudden fluctuations, the client faced the risk of sacrificing intellectual capital.

Solution

To address the fluctuating IT resource needs, MDI proposed and implemented a flexible bench model that would allow the client to pay a utilized rate for engaged consultants as well as a highly discounted, non-utilized rate for consultants who remained on the bench until they were needed.

Results

Through the flexible bench model, MDI maintained 14 resources whose skill sets were mixed between development and quality assurance. This solution allowed the client to have cost and resource flexibility without sacrificing intellectual capital. Over the course of nine months, MDI’s solution helped the client reduce unnecessary resource expenses related to fluctuating needs as well as on-boarding and training of additional resources.

Strong Job Growth

Austin’s private-sector jobs have grown by 11 percent in the past five years, far exceeding any other market’s job growth rate.

Low Unemployment

While most markets’ unemployment rates are over 5.5 percent, Austin’s is 5.3 percent.

Healthy Paychecks

Austin’s private-sector jobs have seen weekly earnings increase by 7.6 percent in the past year.

Retail Strength

Austin’s retail sector has seen employment increase by 8.2 percent in the past five years.

Stable Home Values

While most markets have seen a decline in home value since 2008, Austin has seen a 4.7 percent increase.

As Austin continues to lead the nation in economic strength, MDI Group’s local branch office is ready to help organizations in this thriving market tackle what’s next in terms of emerging technology projects and challenging business objectives.

To read more, check out the full article from the Austin Business Journal.

To read the full article that was published in the Dallas Business Journal on May 3, 2013, subscribe now.

Portal Streamlines Access and Workflow for a Hospital System

Client

A large public hospital system—committed to community health care regardless of the patient’s ability to pay—with over 18,500 surgeries and over 1.2 million total outpatient visits in 2011 alone.
 
Challenge

A small staff of administrators had to manually handle the approval for more than 9,000 incoming requests to access the client’s internal systems. As a result, patient services were often delayed due to approver unavailability, and an audit trail of each business process was unavailable. General ad hoc reporting on the approval processes was also nonexistent.

Solution

MDI was engaged to build a browser-based system to automate the system access workflow. Because business processes (workflow) are general in nature, the software system would include components that could be used across a wide range of problem domains. The components included:

• A general purpose data modeler
• WYSIWYG form generator
• Ad hoc business rules engine
• Drag-and-drop workflow orchestration administrative tool
• A content management system (CMS)
• A metadata driven general purpose flat file data importer system
• Drag-and-drop business intelligence dashboard builder

Results

The software system equipped the client with a solution for the immediate problem as well as a backbone that could later be applied to other IT support systems. Armed with this browser-based solution, the client benefited from the following results:

• Consistency due to automation
• An audit trail of all requests with visual indications of the status of each step
• Ability to generate statistical data by means of the dashboard utility
• An alert mechanism notifying sponsors and application approvers of outstanding requests
• Metadata driven modules so tweaks to the system could be defined without additional coding

These results reduced delays in process requests by 75 percent, and the client’s administrators were therefore empowered to devote more energy to other business activities, moving forward with their system without tedious and expensive recurring IT support.

MDI Group recently hosted its Spring 2013 Technology Executive Forum Series with events that took place April 17 – 25, 2013 in four of the markets in which it operates: Atlanta, Dallas, Greenville and Phoenix. The discussion topic was “Cross Functional Teams – Alignment between IT and the Business,” and technology executives representing 40 organizations shared their perspective and insight on this critical topic in today’s IT industry.

MDI Group’s executive forums are invitation-only networking events, and no vendor or sponsor representatives are allowed to attend. The focus is to provide an environment that is conducive to sharing ideas and best practices for what’s next in technology. The following summarizes the discussion among attendees from all four forum events.

Discussion Topics and Summary
(also available as a PDF)

Is your IT organization aligned with the business?

Many IT executives agree that the initial response to the question of alignment can vary depending on the type of business being evaluated. For service companies, there is usually a bigger gap between IT and the business. For product companies, IT and the business are typically more closely aligned. The rapid evolution of technology is inspiring savvy business leaders to shift their valuation of IT departments from cost centers to strategic mechanisms of growth and profitability, which requires alignment between cross-functional teams. Most technology leaders recognize that alignment is about relationships—with meetings and effective communication between IT and the business.

What are some of the challenges that prevent alignment? Some say that IT has a PR problem when it comes to it’s perceived by the business. Why? Most IT groups are viewed simply as a service desk and are often treated as efficient order takers. Another challenge that can stand in the way of alignment is the fact that the business may not always see the big picture when evaluating their needs. IT often has the big picture in view, but convincing the business to look outside its own needs can be difficult. Finally, if IT doesn’t understand the business it supports, alignment won’t happen.

How do you facilitate alignment?

If IT is going to be seen as a strategic partner and “earn a seat at the table” with strategic business decision makers, it must clearly define and develop its value proposition within the organization.  One of the foundational elements to consider is the fact that the issue is not just about technology—it is about the business with technology as an enabler. At the core of the IT industry, the information is really about the business, and the technology is what supports the information for business purposes.

IT must help the business understand how leveraging technology can support and deliver critical business results, making technology a competitive edge for the business. Whether it’s mobile apps to facilitate customer interactions or sophisticated software programs to streamline operational processes, innovative technologies—and the people who create technology solutions—are now the best competitive advantages a growing company can develop.  IT must listen to the business’ needs and be proactive with innovation and translating technology to meet its needs while balancing the impact to the bottom line.

Most attendees agree that alignment relies heavily on communication. In order to have cross-functional teams with effective communication, there needs to be a common language between IT and the business. IT executives recognize the significance of finding a way to normalize the language that everyone uses. In fact, some even hire BAs to act as a liaison and help facilitate communication between IT and the business. IT professionals must be able to sell the value of IT to the business using business language.

Speaking the business’ language and understanding what the business is trying to accomplish go hand in hand. IT must understand the business and its perspective to address questions like: What are the business’ pain points, and what is the root cause? Armed with that knowledge, IT will be able to identify and develop the right solutions. In order to gain an understanding of the business, several technology executives agree that IT should be exposed to the sales process, seeing the end product and sales transactions, which would help them see the impact of their work.

Once IT understands the business process, it can more effectively partner with the business to be involved with strategic planning and governance discussions. This will change the relationship between IT and the business, positioning IT as more of an ally. IT leaders agree that it is very important for IT to be viewed as part of the operational functions of the business for alignment to occur.

Overall, IT and the business must think in broader terms when it comes to successes—a win isn’t just for IT or the business exclusively—a win benefits the entire organization.

About MDI Group

MDI Group helps IT organizations tackle “what’s next” in terms of emerging technology projects and challenging business objectives by providing a full range of information technology staffing services and contingent workforce solutions that supplement in-house resources. Services range from contract and contract-to-hire placements to project teams and end-to-end processes that maximize the engagement and management of contract labor. Since 1988, MDI Group has successfully placed more than 10,000 technology consultants with mid-sized to Fortune 500 organizations across the country. MDI Group has offices in Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Dallas, Fort Worth, Greenville and Phoenix.

The Executive Forum Series consists of invitation-only roundtable events hosted in metropolitan markets throughout the United States for IT executives and thought leaders. For more information, visit http://www.mdigroup.com/.

Special thanks to the distinguished leaders from MDI Group’s client organizations that agreed to participate in the Spring 2013 Forum:

For example, MDI Group Phoenix Managing Director Allan Dunn shared his perspective on the city’s appeal for qualified technology candidates. “‘It is about the same to draw candidates to the Phoenix area,’” Dunn said. “‘The home-buying market is starting to improve, which will help and the overall economy in Phoenix feels stable. One of the challenges is that there are few large companies that are headquartered in Phoenix, but we seem to have several technology hubs that make Phoenix a focus for technology careers.’”

As the area continues to draw qualified candidates, the role of executive search firms is crucial. MDI Group was recently ranked at #8 on the “Top Executive Search Firms” list in the Phoenix Business Journal’s Book of Lists. As a respected search firm in the area, the MDI Group team in Phoenix is ready to draw on local market expertise and experience to help organizations find “best fit” resources for their IT staffing needs.

Read the full article here.