Healthcare Information Technology Research & Analysis : Coplan & Company : IT Procurement Management, Project Management, System Acquisition

• Initiating
• Planning
• Executing
• Controlling
• Closing

I apply these process groups regardless of project type (e.g., healthcare IT, construction, event planning).

Product management is the "tangible result" of a project. I teach this using the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) technical process groups focusing on:

• Planning
• Designing
• Developing
• Deploying
• Supporting
• Retiring

I apply these process groups based on product type. For HIT I use the Capability Maturity Model Integration for Acquisition (CMMI ACQ) standard.

Change management is how "people" transition from a current to a future state. Because there are no formal process groups, I teach this by focusing on:

• Vision - Defining the problem and identifying the endpoint at the project beginning
• Leadership - Communicating, demonstrating and motivating
• Consensus - Involving front-line and middle management in defining what the project includes and excludes and how they will get there
• Training - Creating individualized training, avoiding technical solutions to human problems, making the environment safe for emotional expression and learning from resistance
• Workflow Improvement - Providing improvement tools during and after the "project" is over

Change management applies to both projects and products.

Hoping future HIT project managers (and the projects they manage) will succeed by only teaching HIT project management is not enough. We must use an integrated approach that combines the disciplines of project, product and change management.