GB560-1: Improve The Impact Of Business Processes On Organiz ✓ Solved

GB560-1: Improve the impact of business processes on organiz

GB560-1: Improve the impact of business processes on organizational performance. Select one industry and one existing organization (real, non-proprietary). Choose and research a company and propose a single business process change the organization will need to undertake in the coming year. Apply either the Capability Maturity Model (CMM) or Kotter's 8-Step Model to outline needed changes at each stage and explain how using the chosen model will improve organizational performance. Evaluate Porter's three-phase process for defining strategy and create a simple chart of the recommended change addressing issues in each phase. Include the following: (a) organization name; (b) organization size and a summary of mission and vision (in your own words); (c) description and explanation of the single business process change; (d) the stage-by-stage outline using the chosen model and explanation of performance improvement; (e) Porter's three-phase evaluation and a simple chart for the change; (f) use APA format for citations and references. Use at least five credible references.

Paper For Above Instructions

Executive Summary

This paper analyzes a focused business process change at the Mayo Clinic (medical care: hospital). The proposed change is a standardized, EHR-integrated inpatient discharge workflow to reduce length of stay (LOS), improve bed turnover, and decrease readmissions. The Kotter 8-Step Model is applied to guide change implementation, and Porter’s three-phase process is used to define strategic direction and actions. The paper describes the organization, the process change, the Kotter-stage implementation plan, and a Porteresque three-phase chart for strategic execution.

(a) Organization

Organization name: Mayo Clinic.

(b) Size, mission and vision (summary)

Mayo Clinic is a multi-site nonprofit academic medical center with major campuses in Rochester, MN, Jacksonville, FL, and Phoenix, AZ, and numerous affiliated clinics nationwide. It employs tens of thousands of staff across clinical, research, and administrative functions and operates dozens of specialty divisions and research institutes (Mayo Clinic, 2024). Its mission focuses on delivering integrated clinical care, advancing research, and educating health professionals; its vision emphasizes patient-centered excellence and continuous clinical innovation. In my own words: Mayo Clinic aspires to provide safe, coordinated, and evidence-based care while advancing medical knowledge and training clinicians who carry those standards forward.

(c) Business process change to undertake

Proposed change: Implement a standardized, electronic health record (EHR)-triggered inpatient discharge workflow that centralizes and automates discharge planning tasks (medication reconciliation, follow-up appointments, patient education, and home care orders) and coordinates multidisciplinary communications. This change addresses variability in discharge readiness assessments, delays caused by inconsistent handoffs, and avoidable extended LOS that reduce capacity and increase costs (Coleman et al., 2006; Hansen et al., 2011). The change leverages EHR decision support and workflow automation to ensure checklist completion, flag barriers to discharge early, and schedule post-discharge follow-up proactively.

(d) Kotter 8-Step Model applied to the discharge process

Kotter’s model provides a structured change-management sequence for major organizational initiatives (Kotter, 1996). Below, each step is tailored to the discharge-workflow change with a short rationale for performance improvement.

1. Create urgency. Present internal data showing average discharge delays, bed-blocking rates, and readmission drivers to senior leaders and front-line teams to build urgency for change. Visible urgency accelerates resource allocation and focus (Kotter, 1996).
2. Form a guiding coalition. Assemble a multidisciplinary team: physicians, nurses, case managers, pharmacists, IT specialists, and administrative leaders to sponsor and guide the project. A broad coalition ensures stakeholder buy-in and cross-functional problem solving (Damschroder et al., 2009).
3. Create a vision and strategy. Craft a simple vision: "Safe, predictable, and timely discharges coordinated via an EHR-driven workflow" and a strategy that sequences pilot units, defines metrics (LOS, time-to-discharge, 30-day readmissions), and aligns incentives (Womack & Jones, 1996).
4. Communicate the vision. Use town halls, unit huddles, and EHR notices to communicate goals, expected benefits for patients and staff, and pilot timelines. Repetition and transparent metrics build credibility (Kotter, 1996).
5. Remove obstacles. Identify workflow blockers—EHR configuration issues, staffing gaps, or policy friction—and assign rapid-response subteams to resolve them. Removing obstacles sustains momentum and reduces resistance (Damschroder et al., 2009).
6. Create short-term wins. Pilot the workflow on one medical-surgical unit and publicly report early wins (reduced discharge delays, improved patient satisfaction). Recognized wins motivate broader adoption (Kotter, 1996).
7. Build on the change. Use pilot data to refine processes and expand to additional wards; integrate lessons learned into training and EHR configurations to scale improvements.
8. Anchor changes in culture. Incorporate standardized discharge metrics into performance reviews and continuous improvement routines so the new workflow becomes a routine standard of care (Kotter, 1996).

Performance improvements expected include reduced LOS, improved bed utilization, lower avoidable readmissions via improved reconciliation and follow-up, higher patient satisfaction, and lower operational costs (Coleman et al., 2006; Buntin et al., 2011).

(e) Porter’s three-phase process evaluation and change chart

Porter’s approach to strategy can be adapted into three pragmatic phases for this initiative: (1) Analysis and diagnosis, (2) Strategy formulation and alignment, and (3) Implementation and monitoring (Porter, 1996). The table below maps recommended actions and primary issues for each phase.

Expected Impact and Measurement

By standardizing discharge through an EHR-driven checklist and workflow, Mayo Clinic can expect measurable decreases in discharge delays and LOS, improved bed turnover, and reductions in readmission rates when linked to comprehensive reconciliation and timely follow-up (Coleman et al., 2006; Hansen et al., 2011). Ongoing measurement using control charts and run-rate metrics will guide continuous refinement (Institute for Healthcare Improvement, 2014).

Conclusion

Applying Kotter’s 8-Step Model ensures a structured, people-centered approach to implementing an EHR-enabled discharge workflow at the Mayo Clinic, while Porter’s three-phase process aligns strategic analysis with operational execution. Together these frameworks help manage complexity, secure stakeholder buy-in, and deliver operational and clinical benefits: faster, safer discharges and better use of hospital capacity.

References

• Buntin, M. B., Burke, M. F., Hoaglin, M. C., & Blumenthal, D. (2011). The benefits of health information technology: A review of the recent literature shows predominantly positive results. Health Affairs, 30(3), 464–471. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2011.0178
• Coleman, E. A., Parry, C., Chalmers, S., & Min, S. J. (2006). The care transitions intervention: Results of a randomized controlled trial. Archives of Internal Medicine, 166(17), 1822–1828. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.166.17.1822
• Damschroder, L. J., Aron, D. C., Keith, R. E., Kirsh, S. R., Alexander, J. A., & Lowery, J. C. (2009). Fostering implementation of health services research findings into practice: A consolidated framework for advancing implementation science. Implementation Science, 4(1), 50. https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-5908-4-50
• Hansen, L. O., Young, R. S., Hinami, K., Leung, A., & Williams, M. V. (2011). Interventions to reduce 30-day rehospitalization: A systematic review. Annals of Internal Medicine, 155(8), 520–528. https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-155-8-201110180-00008
• Institute for Healthcare Improvement. (2014). Improving transitions from hospital to home. IHI Innovation Series white paper. http://www.ihi.org/resources/Pages/IHIWhitePapers/ImprovingTransitionsWhitePaper.aspx
• Kotter, J. P. (1996). Leading change. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.
• Mayo Clinic. (2024). About Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/about-mayo-clinic
• Porter, M. E. (1996). What is strategy? Harvard Business Review, 74(6), 61–78.
• Womack, J. P., & Jones, D. T. (1996). Lean thinking: Banish waste and create wealth in your corporation. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.
• Shortell, S. M., Bennett, C. L., & Byck, G. R. (1998). Assessing the impact of continuous quality improvement on clinical practice: What it will take to accelerate progress. Milbank Quarterly, 76(4), 593–624. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-0009.00126