NextGen Project Outsourcing Versus Staff Augmentation

Many practices need external support to implement, upgrade, and maintain their NextGen EHR and EPM at some point. From outsourcing your entire project to hiring consultants for NextGen staff augmentation, you can tailor the level of support you seek to your practice's needs and goals. TempDev offers a range of consulting services to meet any organization or NextGen project's needs, large or small. Here are the key features of project outsourcing versus staff augmentation.

What Is NextGen Project Outsourcing?

When you outsource your NextGen EHR and EPM project, implementation, or upgrade, TempDev's consultants and developers take responsibility for managing the day-to-day aspects of your project plan. Working with your staff, TempDev will complete the key implementation or upgrade tasks to your specifications. They will work with your staff to define the scope, requirements, and objectives of the project. But, most of the implementation work will fall to TempDev staff to execute.

When Should You Consider NextGen Project Outsourcing?

Project outsourcing is best for large, complex projects like a NextGen upgrade, optimization, or implementation. It can be a useful approach when you have limited staff capacity to take on new initiatives. However, keep in mind that, even with project outsourcing, your staff will need to spend time on your project. For example, your team will assist with business requirements, workflow assistance, and user approval testing (UAT). At the completion of the project, TempDev will train and transition the project to your team for ongoing maintenance. 

There are several advantages to outsourcing your large, complex projects. First, outsourcing your NextGen EHR and EPM project, implementation, or upgrade allows your staff to focus on their jobs. Suppose none of your staff have the time or technical expertise to lead a NextGen implementation or upgrade. In that case, outsourcing can ensure your project gets done without disrupting your day-to-day workflow. 

Second, this approach ensures you have seasoned NextGen professionals working on your project. For example, TempDev's Project Managers will help you create reasonable project timeframes, milestones, and budgets. This can save you both time and hassle by helping to ensure your project is done right the first time.

Project outsourcing also has drawbacks, however. First, no one knows your culture, internal team's skillset, and physicians as well as your own team. Second, without a proper transition, project outsourcing can leave you with too few internal staff who know how to use NextGen. Staff who have worked directly on your NextGen EHR or EPM implementation or upgrade are natural champions for the system. With project outsourcing, your project will require fewer internal staff members, potentially making it more difficult to find internal champions and experts. Developing internal NextGen experts and champions is a critical component of your success. If project outsourcing leaves your staff too far removed from your NextGen implementation or upgrade, it may take longer for staff to buy into the new system. This is why it is critical to engage with NextGen consultants like TempDev, who will work with your team to provide the proper knowledge transfers and transition.

What Is NextGen Staff Augmentation?

With NextGen staff augmentation, a TempDev consultant works side-by-side with your staff, becoming part of the internal team. Staff augmentation can be short- or long-term. Short-term augmentation can help you manage periods of high workload or cover vacations or other short-term absences of key staff. Long-term augmentation can help you maintain your legacy NextGen system as you pursue an upgrade, fill in for key staff members who have left your team, or cover longer-term absences like parental or family medical leave.

TempDev offers staff augmentation across a variety of roles, including:

When Should You Consider Staff Augmentation?

Staff augmentation is perfect for larger projects, like NextGen upgrades or maintenance. Staff augmentation puts an expert NextGen consultant or developer on your team for as long as you need. You can also use staff augmentation to fill key staff vacancies quickly. If one of your critical NextGen staff members moves on, a TempDev consultant can cover that role while you search for a replacement. Similarly, if a key staff member takes extended leave, TempDev's staff augmentation team can step in until that staff member returns.

Staff augmentation has several benefits. It gives you the flexibility to fill key positions during absences or periods of high work volume. You can add or remove TempDev consultants and developers from your team as needed, without the traditional hiring and layoff process. Bringing new employees up to speed on NextGen takes time. TempDev's staff augmentation consultants and developers are ready to work with your NextGen system on their first day. Staff augmentation from TempDev is the perfect solution for temporary staffing needs.

Staff augmentation has some drawbacks. While a TempDev Project Manager can fill a staff augmentation role, large projects will probably require more support than staff augmentation can provide. Project outsourcing or a hybrid approach may be best for NextGen EHR and EPM implementation projects or major upgrades. Staff augmentation can still be useful during these periods; however, because TempDev consultants and developers can work with your team to maintain a legacy system while your upgrade or implementation project gets underway. Staff augmentation is also not a permanent solution for hiring staff with the technical capacity to work effectively with your NextGen system. Staff support and training are critical for the success of your NextGen EHR and EPM. You must invest in your permanent staff alongside staff augmentation to ensure long-term success with your NextGen system.

The TempDev Difference

TempDev's consultants and developers are NextGen experts. Whether you need project management, NextGen customization assistance, or staff augmentation, TempDev can help. TempDev can even provide billing staff augmentation to help keep your finances up-to-date.

Call us at 888.TEMP.DEV today or contact us here to get started with staff augmentation, project management, development, or your other NextGen needs.