Article
Critical success factors in implementing an e-rostering
system in a healthcare organisation
Soomro, Zahoor Ahmed, Ahmed, Javed, Muhammad, Raza, Hayes,
Dawn and Shah, Mahmood H
Available at http://clok.uclan.ac.uk/21171/
Soomro, Zahoor Ahmed, Ahmed, Javed, Muhammad, Raza, Hayes, Dawn and Shah, Mahmood H
(2018) Critical success factors in implementing an e-rostering system in a healthcare
organisation. Health Services Management Research, 31 (3). pp. 130-137. ISSN 0951-4848
It is advisable to refer to the publisher’s version if you intend to cite from the work.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0951484817745695
For more information about UCLan’s research in this area go to
http://www.uclan.ac.uk/researchgroups/ and search for <name of research Group>.
For information about Research generally at UCLan please go to
http://www.uclan.ac.uk/research/
All outputs in CLoK are protected by Intellectual Property Rights law, including
Copyright law. Copyright, IPR and Moral Rights for the works on this site are retained
by the individual authors and/or other copyright owners. Terms and conditions for use
of this material are defined in the http://clok.uclan.ac.uk/policies/
CLoK
Central Lancashire online Knowledge
www.clok.uclan.ac.uk
, Critical Success Factors in Implementing an E-Rostering System in a
Healthcare Organisation
Authors
1. Zahoor Ahmed Soomro
University of Central Lancashire, UK
Cell: +44 7450 935 544
2. Javed Ahmed
University of Central Lancashire, UK
3. Raza Muhammad
University of Central Lancashire, UK
4. Dawn Hayes
University of Central Lancashire, UK
5. Dr: Mahmood H. Shah
Coventry University, Coventry, UK
,Abstract
EEffective and efficient staff scheduling has always been a problemchallenging issue,
especially in health service organisations. Both the extremes of staff shortage and overage
have an adverse impact on the performance of healthcare organisations. In this case, aAn
electronic and systematic staff scheduling (e-rostering) system is the often seen as a
bestgood solution. However, unless an organisation has an effective implementation
implements of such a system effectively, possible cost savingsefficiency benefits could
be minimal.
This study is aimed to research key success factors for the successful effective
implementation of an electronic rostering system, especially at healthcare organisations.
A case study research method was used to evaluate Ccritical Ssuccess Ffactors (CSFs)
for effectively implementing an e-rostering system. The data was collected through
interviews and observations. The findings indicate that technical support, an effective
policy, leadership, clear goals and objectives, gradual change, evidence of the advantages
of the new system, senior management support, and effective communication are the
critical success factorsCSFs in implementing an e-rostering system in healthcare
organisations. Prior to this study, no such factors were grounded in the current context,
so this research would help in bridging the gap towards effective implementation of an e-
, rostering system in the healthcare sector. This research also suggests future studies in
different cultures and contexts.
Keywords: Electronic rostering, critical success factors, system implementation,
healthcare management and barriers to change, staff management,
1. Introduction
The use of computer-based information systems has many advantages including quicker
processing and cost- effectiveness. The health sector, especially National Health Service
(NHS) Trusts in UK, have reported significant budget deficits, with nearly half of the
total budget being spent on staff payments2, so there is a need to effectively utilise staffing
systems to minimise the usage of agency staff 1. Manual staff nurse rotation systems in
the National Health Service (NHS),NHS, UK have led to overstaffing in some shifts and
understaffing in others, which can lead to additional temporary staff resource being
required to meet demand. The NHS is currently paying large sums annually to temporary
staff as a result of rostering problems. Appleby,2 reports that staff costs account for nearly
half of the NHS budget. In this regard, Dunn, et al.,1 and Sprinks,3 suggest control over
staff budgets, especially in regard to agency staff. E-rostering systems are an effective
way to manage staff shifts efficiently, so the Medic Trust decided to implement an e-
rostering system throughout the Medic Trust hospitals. However Iin-depth research in
this area, however, has not been carried outdone. The core purpose of the project was to
control the staff cost through increased efficiency in the allocating of shifts. The
Critical success factors in implementing an e-rostering
system in a healthcare organisation
Soomro, Zahoor Ahmed, Ahmed, Javed, Muhammad, Raza, Hayes,
Dawn and Shah, Mahmood H
Available at http://clok.uclan.ac.uk/21171/
Soomro, Zahoor Ahmed, Ahmed, Javed, Muhammad, Raza, Hayes, Dawn and Shah, Mahmood H
(2018) Critical success factors in implementing an e-rostering system in a healthcare
organisation. Health Services Management Research, 31 (3). pp. 130-137. ISSN 0951-4848
It is advisable to refer to the publisher’s version if you intend to cite from the work.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0951484817745695
For more information about UCLan’s research in this area go to
http://www.uclan.ac.uk/researchgroups/ and search for <name of research Group>.
For information about Research generally at UCLan please go to
http://www.uclan.ac.uk/research/
All outputs in CLoK are protected by Intellectual Property Rights law, including
Copyright law. Copyright, IPR and Moral Rights for the works on this site are retained
by the individual authors and/or other copyright owners. Terms and conditions for use
of this material are defined in the http://clok.uclan.ac.uk/policies/
CLoK
Central Lancashire online Knowledge
www.clok.uclan.ac.uk
, Critical Success Factors in Implementing an E-Rostering System in a
Healthcare Organisation
Authors
1. Zahoor Ahmed Soomro
University of Central Lancashire, UK
Cell: +44 7450 935 544
2. Javed Ahmed
University of Central Lancashire, UK
3. Raza Muhammad
University of Central Lancashire, UK
4. Dawn Hayes
University of Central Lancashire, UK
5. Dr: Mahmood H. Shah
Coventry University, Coventry, UK
,Abstract
EEffective and efficient staff scheduling has always been a problemchallenging issue,
especially in health service organisations. Both the extremes of staff shortage and overage
have an adverse impact on the performance of healthcare organisations. In this case, aAn
electronic and systematic staff scheduling (e-rostering) system is the often seen as a
bestgood solution. However, unless an organisation has an effective implementation
implements of such a system effectively, possible cost savingsefficiency benefits could
be minimal.
This study is aimed to research key success factors for the successful effective
implementation of an electronic rostering system, especially at healthcare organisations.
A case study research method was used to evaluate Ccritical Ssuccess Ffactors (CSFs)
for effectively implementing an e-rostering system. The data was collected through
interviews and observations. The findings indicate that technical support, an effective
policy, leadership, clear goals and objectives, gradual change, evidence of the advantages
of the new system, senior management support, and effective communication are the
critical success factorsCSFs in implementing an e-rostering system in healthcare
organisations. Prior to this study, no such factors were grounded in the current context,
so this research would help in bridging the gap towards effective implementation of an e-
, rostering system in the healthcare sector. This research also suggests future studies in
different cultures and contexts.
Keywords: Electronic rostering, critical success factors, system implementation,
healthcare management and barriers to change, staff management,
1. Introduction
The use of computer-based information systems has many advantages including quicker
processing and cost- effectiveness. The health sector, especially National Health Service
(NHS) Trusts in UK, have reported significant budget deficits, with nearly half of the
total budget being spent on staff payments2, so there is a need to effectively utilise staffing
systems to minimise the usage of agency staff 1. Manual staff nurse rotation systems in
the National Health Service (NHS),NHS, UK have led to overstaffing in some shifts and
understaffing in others, which can lead to additional temporary staff resource being
required to meet demand. The NHS is currently paying large sums annually to temporary
staff as a result of rostering problems. Appleby,2 reports that staff costs account for nearly
half of the NHS budget. In this regard, Dunn, et al.,1 and Sprinks,3 suggest control over
staff budgets, especially in regard to agency staff. E-rostering systems are an effective
way to manage staff shifts efficiently, so the Medic Trust decided to implement an e-
rostering system throughout the Medic Trust hospitals. However Iin-depth research in
this area, however, has not been carried outdone. The core purpose of the project was to
control the staff cost through increased efficiency in the allocating of shifts. The
