NorthBay Healthcare System is a not-for-profit, two-hospital healthcare system based in Upper Solano County California. NorthBay faced two basic challenges in the telecommunications area. First, their legacy telephone system, servicing both hospitals and multiple remote locations, was at end-of-life and no longer supported by the manufacturer. The second was the need for a telecommunications solution for their new administration, conference and data center opening in May 2008. To meet these challenges, NorthBay invited L7 Technology Partners to help design a comprehensive migration plan towards an advanced IP communications solution incorporating data, voice and wireless requirements. In order to meet NorthBay's business needs, a phased transition extending over several quarters was required.
L7 utilized their technology expertise and extensive healthcare experience to partner with NorthBay. After initial interviews and analysis of prior works and documentation, L7 conducted in-depth technical assessments, captured design requirements and business needs and built the Technology Baseline for NorthBay. This body of work established the criteria for selecting a strategic technology supplier that would meet or exceed NorthBay's needs.
NorthBay had received vendor responses from an early RFP, but had difficulty comparing the highly variable approaches proposed by the suppliers. L7 reviewed the proposals with a perspective focused entirely on NorthBay requirements rather than a particular vendor’s marketing claims. A well-balanced decision matrix was then populated with the data from the vendor proposals. In the final analysis, Cisco voice, data and wireless products were selected and used to create the final design.
L7 produced a detailed report to assist NorthBay in their funding request. Technical (under-the-hood) briefings were held as well as executive briefings to ensure that key stakeholders understood the go forward plan, timing and the rationale behind that plan. The Design Document created for NorthBay, gave them the information they needed to make strategic, forward-thinking decisions and the assurance that L7 was willing and able to partner with them through project completion.
Due to the size, duration and complexity of the project, multiple phases were required. The first area deployed was the new administration, conference and data center building. Due to construction delays, the already aggressive 18 day implementation timeline was compressed nearly 40%, leaving just 11 days to install all new communications equipment, test and train end-users on the new unified communications systems. The result? The Go-Live occurred on time and was completed successfully.
The second phase of the project, which includes both hospitals, is currently underway with all infrastructure components completed and tested and just phones to deploy...
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