Labor Planning Outcomes - Systemic Management Models, Human Interactions, and Knowledge Sharing

This project takes a systemic approach to quantifying labor forecasting, scheduling, and staffing outcomes. Moreover, rather than optimizing the individual components of workload forecasting, scheduling, and staffing separately, this research considers all three components within their interdependent, dynamic, cyclical systemic nature. The research objective is to define outcome metrics conducive to performance assessment of each phase of the labor planning and allocation cycle (LPAC) leveraging a systemic optimization of organizational structures, work tasks and human interactions based on patient flow to create improved outcomes. We use an Action Design Research (ADR) method to the guided emergence of an innovative artifact – LPAC Performance Metrics – that we evaluate and improve through interventions in situ with practitioners. The study concludes with a discussion of the resulting utility and acceptance of the development metrics in a real-world hospital environment.