Organizational Design and Culture, Case Study Example

Oncology Therapeutics Networks [OTN] is an example of a healthcare organization that has the structured to align itself with a more  process centered concept.  At the core of the OTA business model is the need for “distribution of medication to customers, immediately as they need it.”  (Bell, 2009)  In order to make work this OTN  needs a real-time centralized customer communication concept.

They have achieved this by upgrading management information systems to run on Oracle enterprise resource planning software applications.  OTM have partnered with the business integrations solution software firm of Tibco  in order to complete the business integration solutions that are required. “With Tibco, our business processes are not constrained by the applications we have.  We can design our processes and then pick the applications that best suit them — not the other way around. ” [Orlando Calderon, chief architect of OTN]. (Bell, 2009).

The concept of using a centralised relational database system such as Oracle has offered numerous advantages to OTM.  ” By replacing dozens of point-to-point    interfaces with TIBCO’s integration software, Bell estimates that OTN saved seven person months in interface  development time and cost. A custom adapter for connecting OTN’s CRM software took only 14 days to develop. The initial phase of an automated order and inventory management system was  up and running in only three months.” [Chuck Bell, Director of Enterprise Data, OTN].

Essentially OTN have placed the ‘Patient’ at the centre of its business operational model and built the management information systems around this.  In essence they have built the services to directly meet the needs of its customers in a timely fashion.  ERP completes a cyclical process incorporating all of the business processes using single sources of data in a real time environment.

Figure 1  Enterprise Resource Planning

Works Cited

Bell, C. (2009). OTN finds powerful medicine in business integration. Retrieved 5 11, 2010, from OTN: http://www.tibco.com/resources/customers/successstory_otn.pdf