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Objective: The following research paper seeks to explore how post-occupancy evaluations (POEs) are undertaken in the nine health jurisdictions across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand and investigate if the process can be strengthened to better inform healthcare design and investment. Background: Healthcare expenditure in both nations is increasing, and the rigorous evaluation of healthcare facilities can provide evidence to improve their return on investment. A POE is a research method used to undertake this analysis, usually 12 months after a facility has been occupied. There is limited information available about how POEs are undertaken in each jurisdiction, and there has never been research conducted to understand these processes across the region. Methods: Focus groups were conducted with participants from the government health organization in each jurisdiction to collect qualitative data regarding various aspects of POE processes and barriers to undertaking POEs. Results: Only five of the nine jurisdictions undertake POEs on healthcare facilities (with varied frequencies), and there is no standardized framework in use. However, every jurisdiction does undertake a "benefits realization" process. There is limited involvement of external consultants in POEs or benefits realization processes. POE benchmarks should be established at project commencement, and POE results should then inform future projects. Top-down support is required for POEs to occur. Conclusions: The primary conclusion is that strengthening any evaluation process requires a nuanced approach in each jurisdiction to account for their unique context and challenges. Regular rigorous evaluations are required to feed results into the Australasian Health Facility Guidelines and encourage innovative facility design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementations to improve the ability to realize outstanding value from such systems. In particular, it aims to provide a deep understanding of realizing sustainable value from ERP systems and to examine the relevance of benefits management (BM) in this context. To do so, this research applied a qualitative case study approach to investigate the implementation of Tier-1 ERP systems in two firms. Key findings initially suggest five considerations to better understand the realization of benefits from ERP implementation. Consequently, this research outlines the key activities undertaken by the investigated organizations and aligns them with activities suggested by benefits management literature. In conclusion, this research conjectures that while benefits management is a good practice and a systematic approach to realizing benefits from information systems, it may be ineffective in addressing the benefits that emerge in practice, i.e., when integrating the ERP system with modern digital technologies. Therefore, this research advocates either revisiting the current BM techniques or improving the implementation of digital technologies, including ERP systems with BM concepts and principles by incorporating such BM concepts within the implementation process. This study responds to research calls for maximizing the returned value from the implemented ERP systems by providing insightful recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benefits realization at the operation stage is a widely neglected aspect of sustainable development of construction projects. While it is one of the ultimate purposes of initiating projects, public projects often perform poorly in realizing benefits after being delivered. The purpose of this study is to investigate why public institutional building projects could not realize benefits as expected. Four barriers to benefits realization are identified, which mainly stem from the formalization of public institutional building project management. These are rigid administrative systems, non-autonomous decision-making, strong accountability, and lack of benefits evaluation scheme. This study presents a paradoxical understanding of the role of formalization in ensuring project production and benefits realization of public institutional building projects. While formalization ensures accountability and transparency in the project delivery and production, it undermines the long-run benefits realization after being delivered.

This paper investigates what organizations can do to enable Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems drive their businesses towards growth and sustainability. In particular, this research aims to uncover a set of activities drawn on sustainability principles that were evidently exist by a growing organization. This research applies a qualitative case study approach as an exploratory investigation. It shows how different activities that allow the implementation of a Tier-1 ERP system can help an organization to grow and sustain their business. Interview data were supplemented by available documents to get a deep understanding of the case. The findings include a set of activities were proven vital in driving business growth and sustainability. These activities are articulated in accordance with relevant sustainability principles. Spring boarding from this articulation, we suggest that future development of ERP implementation to address the sustainability principles and activities during the ERP life cycle. This study responds to research calls for adopting different governance frameworks to address the sustainability issue when developing and implementing different information systems projects. Considering and applying such approach is conjectured in this paper as a way to enable the ERP implementation will assist organizations in their growth and sustainability journey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Global Digital Exemplar (GDE) Programme is a national initiative to promote digitally enabled transformation in English provider organizations. The Programme applied benefits realization management techniques to promote and demonstrate transformative outcomes. This work was part of an independent national evaluation of the GDE Programme.Aims: We explored how benefits realization management was approached and conceptualized in the GDE Programme.Methods: We conducted a series of 36 longitudinal case studies of provider organizations participating in the GDE Programme, 12 of which were in depth. Data collection included a combination of 628 interviews (with implementation staff in provider organizations, national programme management staff, and suppliers), 499 documents (of national and local implementation plans and lessons learned), and 190 nonparticipant observations (of national and local programme management meetings to develop insights into the broader context of benefits realization activities, tensions arising, and how these were negotiated). Data were coded drawing on a sociotechnical framework developed in related work and thematically analyzed, initially within and then across cases, with the help of NVivo 11 software.Results: Most stakeholders broadly agreed with the rationale of benefits realization in the GDE Programme to show due diligence that public money was appropriately spent, and to develop an evidence base supporting the value of digitally enabled transformation. Differing national and local reporting purposes, however, created tensions. Central requirements, for progress reporting and tracking high-level benefits, had limited perceived local value and were seen to impose an unnecessary burden on provider organizations. This was accentuated by the lack of harmonization of reporting requirements to different stakeholders (which differed in content and timing). There were tensions between the desire for early evidence of outcomes and the slow processes of infrastructural change (which created problems of attribution of benefits to causes as benefits emerged gradually and over long timeframes), and also between reporting immediately visible local changes and showing how these flowed through to high level organization wide benefits (eg, in terms of health outcomes or cost savings/return on investment). The attempt to fulfill these diverging agendas and informational needs within a single reporting tool had limited success. These difficulties were mitigated by efforts to simplify reporting requirements and to support targeted collection of key national outcome measures. Although progress was hampered by an initial lack of benefits realization expertise in provider organizations, some providers subsequently retained these skills for their own change management purposes.Conclusions: There is a need to recognize the limitations and cost of benefits realization management practices in the context of healthcare digitalization where benefits may materialize over long timeframes and in unanticipated ways. Although diverse stakeholder information needs may create tensions, prior agreement about rationales for collecting information and a targeted approach to tracking local and high-level benefits may enhance local relevance, reduce perceived reporting burdens, and improve acceptance/effectiveness. A single integrated reporting mechanism is unlikely to fulfill both national and local requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electronic health record (EHR) implementation is expanding worldwide to achieve the benefits of that technology, but it is reported in the literature as a "disruptive" change to the work environment in which all health-care workers need to be ready for the change, to enhance adoption and harvest the benefits. Jordan has rolled out a national EHR system. This study explored EHR implementation readiness, levels of realizing the benefits of EHR, and adoption among Jordanian nurses, using a self-report questionnaire at nine governmental hospitals in Jordan. A total of 462 registered nurses participated in the study. Results showed that nurses have moderate levels of readiness for EHR implementation, but higher levels of EHR benefits realization and adoption. All health-care workers' readiness for EHR implementation must be assessed regularly before, during, and after EHR implementation. Readiness-based roll-out can be used as a strategy in implementing EHR systems. Introducing a large-scale change management program is recommended to assess readiness, guide roll-out plans, enhance EHR implementation readiness, improve benefits realization, and increase EHR adoption levels, to help move health-care systems into the digital era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the amount of resources organizations invest in projects and programs, there is a growing emphasis on benefits management as a powerful tool to align projects,programs, and portfolios to the organization’s strategy.To boost performance, the organization often undergo business model restructuring as a results of constant environmental changes and competitive globalized markets. Project management office (PMO) and their performance in relation to improve organizational performance is important to achieve strategic goals and increase value of projects in organizations.Project-based information through analytics can permit project managers and executives to measure, observe, and analyze project performance objectively and make decisions and commitments based on facts.In the 21st century, the high availability of analytical technology can enable project and program managers to use various analytical reports and drill-down charts to break down complex project data and predict their behavior and outcomes in real-time.The objective of this research is to investigate the application of data analytics, tools and technieques to improve project management office performance ensuring that the organisations achive its desired benefits that are mostly absent in today projects and programs.With the huge amount of data available, ensuing requirements for Artificial Intelligence and good machine learning techniques, new problems arise and novel approaches to feature engineering techniques are in demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We introduce the concept of initiative alignment within a Scaled Agile environment. Alignment with strategy follows a top-down and bottom-up approach. Strategic themes are used as a communication mechanism between the enterprise and the respective portfolios, especially during the product integration planning activities. Collaboration between IT and business is a key success factor.. Abstract: Scaled Agile introduces challenges that confront organizations. One of these challenges is how initiatives are aligned with the organizational strategies in frameworks such as SAFe. Nineteen interviews were conducted within a case that has implemented a Scaled Agile framework. The purpose was to determine how this framework was implemented and to assess how information technology (IT) initiatives are aligned with corporate strategies. The results indicate that IT initiatives are aligned with the strategies but that two approaches are used. Future research will focus on benefits realization within a Scaled Agile environment. Highlights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the business dictionary, there are three definitions of the word “benefit”. The first definition is “advantage, privilege, right or financial reimbursement”, the second is “desirable and measurable outcome or result from an action, investment, project, resource, or technology”, the last is “desirable attribute of a good or service, which a customer perceives he or she will get from purchasing. Whereas vendors sell features, buyers seek the benefit”. According to the Project Management Institute (PMI), “Projects are a key way to create value and benefits in organizations”. (PMBOK Guide, 2017, p.10) Furthermore, the PMI stated that “successful business value realization begins with comprehensive strategic planning and management” and continued “In order to bridge the gap between organizational strategy and successful business value realization, the use of portfolio, program, and project management techniques is essential.” in the “A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge”. (PMBOK Guide, 2013, p.16) The primary aim of this paper is to develop end-to-end benefits realization process through integrating portfolio management with program and project management. In order to achieve this, the author conducted a deep research about benefit management based on PMI’s perspective and will explain them on the background section. Then, the relationship between portfolio management, program management and project management will be developed and a new end-to-end benefits realization process will be proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benefits are the principal reason why an organization may seek to enact change through programmes and projects. The discipline of identification, definition, planning, tracking and realization of benefits is recognized to be instrumental in achieving organizational strategy. In this study, we describe the results of a cross-national comparison of public sector benefits management (BM) practices in Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA. It explores 'BM practices in action', considering to what extent 'espoused' or 'mandated' frameworks are actually practised and perceived by their users. Employing qualitative analysis, semi-structured interview data were analysed from 46 participants with experience in sponsoring, managing and/or reviewing government projects. The results expose considerable variation in the adoption and standardization of BM frameworks from inter and intragovernmental perspectives. We evidence a strong focus on benefits identification across the data set, specifically at the outset (the business case stage seeking project approval) and observe deterioration in focus as the project or programme progresses through the authorization (or assurance) approval gates towards close-out and operations. The results further emphasize the prominence of political interest, leadership buy-in, a benefits-driven culture and a transparent benefits reporting mechanism in the implementation of 'effective' BM frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper arose from empirical investigations of practitioner views of both governance and program definitions together with investigations of practitioner reference documents. These investigations indicated that some confusion had arisen in infrastructure project management as a result of approaches used in IT. This paper contributes to the literature evaluating project standards and methodologies by conducting an examination of the suitability of one such source (MSP) for use in engineering infrastructure program management. A deductive definitional approach is taken to identify features that could cause difficulty. Eight features were examined, and six were found to have difficulty in application to engineering infrastructure. The remaining two were found to be terminology differences that are unlikely to cause too much difficulty. The features causing difficulty include an inappropriate definition of a program, use of a non-generic process flow unsuitable for rolling programs, confusion of transformation projects with programs, the presumption of a board governance model, and confusion of large projects with programs. The paper concludes that MSP is quite poorly suited to managing rolling programs, whether they are in engineering infrastructure or IT. Various changes to MSP and PMI publications are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of projects is to produce benefits, but who is responsible for project benefits realization? Project management practitioner-guiding frameworks are clear on the responsibility for benefits realization. The majority of scientific papers on the topic follows the same logic. However, watercooler conversations with practitioners reveal a more nuanced project reality. The purpose of the paper is to investigate the gap between theory and practice. Given an opportunity for collaboration with a large-scale Danish survey among practitioners of project management, we included clarification of the institutionalization of responsibility for project benefits realization. The investigation was conducted with institutional logic as a lens, and the contribution of this paper is a deeper understanding of the stakeholder diversity regarding responsibility for benefits realization and to the socio-political dimension of the complexity of project management. The findings from the survey demonstrate that one in three of the participants holds the project manager responsible for benefits realization - in contrast to the overall recommendations in guidelines and research literature. The value of the paper is the inconsistency demonstration and hereby assist the understanding of the complexity and diversity of responsibility for benefits realization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organizations have embraced benefits realization as a key strategy to obtain and sustain beneficial program and project outcomes in uncertain environments. To manage projectbased organizations effectively, to deliver outputs within the criteria of scope, time, and cost, and to realize and sustain benefits successfully, merging benefits management (BM) with traditional project management is inevitable. To handle this issue, matured organizational governance is needed to guide all those who are involved from defining intended values to achieving business outcomes. This governance can help organizations to determine their level of BM maturity, and how they can evaluate their BM strengths and weaknesses. The purpose of this article is to define the level of BM maturity in the context of traditional portfolio/program/project management in different kinds of maturity models. This research outlines where portfolio, program, and project maturity models stand from BM perspective. This research reviews and assesses maturity models; Portfolio, Programme and Project Management Maturity Model (P3M3); Project Management Maturity Model (PMMM); Organizational Project Management Maturity Model (OPM3); Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI); and Project Management Process Maturity (PM)2 model to find the level of benefits management popularity in maturity models, and reviews Benefits Realization Management practice guide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the business dictionary, there are three definitions of the word "benefit". The first definition is "advantage, privilege, right or financial reimbursement", the second is "desirable and measurable outcome or result from an action, investment, project, resource, or technology", the last is "desirable attribute of a good or service, which a customer perceives he or she will get from purchasing. Whereas vendors sell features, buyers seek the benefit". According to the Project Management Institute (PMI), "Projects are a key way to create value and benefits in organization". (PMBOK Guide, 2017, p.10) Furthermore, the PMI stated that "successful business value realization begins with comprehensive strategic planning and management" and continued "In order to bridge the gap between organizational strategy and successful business value realization, the use of portfolio, program, and project management techniques is essential." in the "A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge". (PMBOK Guide, 2013, p.16) The primary aim of this paper is to develop end-to-end benefits realization process through integrating portfolio management with program and project management. In order to achieve this, the author conducted a deep research about benefit management based on PMI's perspective and will explain them on the background section. Then, the relationship between portfolio management, program management and project management will be developed and a new end-to-end benefits realization process will be proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Realizing business benefits after the implementation of information systems is considered a key challenge faced organizations. Due to the lack of benefits realized from information systems or IT projects, some studies call to adopt benefits management approaches and techniques to respond to that challenge. Particularly, in the implementation of ERP systems, there is limited studies that showed benefits management techniques that can be used to effectively realize benefits from these systems. This paper builds on previous research to investigate to what extent the application of the benefits management techniques within the ERP implementation process is viable. This study has conducted its investigation on companies' implemented ERP systems. This research has reported three main issues or concerns that should be considered to apply benefits management practices for the ERP implementation. This paper concludes with suggestions to handle the reported concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A conceptual model of EHR adoption and use is presented, which details the components necessary to realize both quality and experience benefits. The model was developed based on a review of the conceptual and theoretical frameworks related to technology adoption/use and quality in health care. It includes 42 constructs, six key constructs, three antecedents, four moderator variables, and two key benefit areas (i.e., quality and experience) at the micro, meso, and macro levels. The model has been operationalized through identification of over 130 metrics for measuring the constructs. The model may be used to inform planning, decisionmaking, and evaluation of EHR implementations and benefits realization. It is recommended that the EAU model be further tested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Between 2003 and 2012, the number of MRIs performed in Canada more than doubled to 1.7 million [1]. According to a 2010 Health Council of Canada report nearly 30% of MRIs were inappropriately ordered [2]. The use of diagnostic imaging referral guidelines has been shown to improve the appropriateness of imaging orders [3, 4]. Objectives: To identify the number of unnecessary pre-consult MRIs ordered for patients with knee pain. As well, the impact that new evidence-based clinical decision support (DS) guidelines embedded within the referral form has had on the number of unnecessary MRIs was investigated. Methods: This study employed a retrospective design approach. Charts of all knee pain patients over the age of 55 who were referred for consultation to the 5 participating orthopedic surgeons during the study period were reviewed by three medical students. Results: 270 patient charts were included in this study. MRI was ordered for 60 patients with only 56.7% having had a prior X-ray. Of the 60 ordered MRIs, 50 (84%) were considered inappropriate, while only 10 (16%) were appropriate. Our results were compared to previous results of a quality improvement study implemented at the same clinic. A substantial reduction of 12% in the number of pre-consult MRIs and a 5% increase in the number of ordered X-rays before consultation was demonstrated. Conclusion: This work highlights the impact of including DS tools within an electronic referral form to support clinical best practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expenses in Information Systems and Information Technology (IS/IT) represent a substantial share in organizations' budgets. However, IS/IT investment projects seem to continue to show reduced success rates. The Benefits Management (BM) has gained relevance as a way, not only, to understand these failures, but also as a tool available to organizations to improve the success of IS/TI investments. The objective of this article is to understand how BM can be applied in IS/IT investments in the Public Administration (PA) and help to leverage the benefits of these investments. A case study was conducted using an e-Government project in the Portuguese PA. The study showed how a BM approach can be applied in this environment and also identified some difficulties that must be considered. Several benefits, that were not foreseen, were identified and evaluated, or proposed some criteria for their evaluation, highlighting, this way, the true contribution of IS/IT investments in delivering services to citizens and increasing public organizations performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explains the benefits model developed and deployed by the connecting South West Ontario (cSWO) program. The cSWO approach is founded on the principles of enabling clinical and organizational value and the recognition that enabling requires a collaborative approach that can include several perspectives. We describe our approach which is aimed at creating a four-part harmony between change management and adoption, best practice research and quality indicators, data analytics and clinical value production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to determine whether there is a link between partnering and effective knowledge transfer. Analyzing the key factors that enable partnering, there are reasons to believe that partnering may help to promote effective knowledge transfer in projects. Collaboration, open communication, and trust are some partnering elements that imply effective knowledge transfer and, consequently, lead to successful outcome. The findings will drive practitioners to a greater awareness of partnering practices and assist in promoting effective knowledge transfer in partnering projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the advent of wide scale adoption and use of clinical information systems and other technologies to support the delivery of healthcare services, the inclusion of iterative evaluation is an often overlooked but important component of project management. In this paper, it is proffered that the evaluation process should be an imperative and initiated at the outset of the design and implementation of clinical information systems including any single component of hardware or software. Ideally, methods of evaluation should be multi-faceted, include formative and summative evaluation approaches and include a range of metrics that will provide organizations with insight to process and technology efficiency and effectiveness as well as human and financial impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An asset owner's decision to implement Building Information Modeling (BIM) can enable strategic business outcomes. For an asset owner the implementation of BIM should not be seen as a discrete information technology project, but a business change program that can potentially impact their ‘value proposition’. Benefits realization recognizes that technology alone cannot deliver business outcomes and that the process of its implementation is proactively managed to ensure that the organization obtains the results it expects. This paper presents a novel framework that asset owners can use to ensure that they can obtain ‘value’ from investing in BIM. It is proffered that the benefits realization process should be viewed as a learning process that enables the asset owner to constantly question and measure the benefits of BIM. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose – Delivering benefits from ERP II is challenging and the purpose of this paper is to investigate the allocation of resources contributing towards benefits realisation. Design/methodology/approach – A case-study investigation was based on a five-month placement within the project team of an organisation implementing ERP II. A critical success factors (CSF) phasing model was developed in order to categorise invested resources. Participant observations formed the first stage of the research and two years post implementation the observations were presented back to four key members of the project team to identify which invested resources contributed towards benefits realisation. Subsequently, the findings were presented to seven supplier organisations to validate the CSFs required to deliver benefits realisation from ERP II implementations. Findings – This research has identified 19 CSFs for ERP II, contributing an additional six to those already outlined in literature. A critical pathway for ERP II implementations has been presented, allowing the identified CSFs to be tackled at the appropriate stages of the implementation. Originality/value – This is the first time CSFs have been allocated to different phases of the implementation lifecycle using a structured model. As a result, resources contributing towards benefits realisation can be more effectively applied, saving the organisation valuable resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing use of projects and programs by organizations to achieve business strategy and goals has led to the need for understanding project portfolio management. Along with the increasing diffusion of portfolio management, a new managerial role has evolved: the portfolio manager. This new role is pivotal in planning and controlling complex project landscapes more effectively and efficiently. This study investigates the governance structures and the roles, responsibilities, and practices of portfolio managers. A sequential mixed-method approach under a realism paradigm is used. This article presents the first-stage qualitative study, using an inductive interview-based approach with six portfolio managers from six organizations in Australia. The results of six case studies from the qualitative study are used to validate the research model developed based on previous research. It developed the constructs for the concept of portfolio context and the roles, responsibilities, and practices of portfolio managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]