Effectiveness of Enterprise Resource Planning System Implementation at Muhimbili National Hospital.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of ERP (Jeeva) system implementation on healthcare service delivery at Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH). The specific objectives were to identify the contribution of the ERP system in improving healthcare service delivery at MNH, to investigate challenges facing MNH on implementing ERP system as well as to suggest suitable solutions for enhancing the effectiveness of ERP system on service delivery. The research adopted a case study research design. Data were collected using questionnaires and interviews and laterally analyzed through descriptive statistics and content analysis methods. The findings of the study revealed that the Jeeva system has helped to reduce hospital-running costs, patient waiting for time, and physicians’ errors. Furthermore, improvement in hospital billings, patient registration, client-workers interaction, decision-making process as well as in diagnosis and treatment procedures. Other benefits reported include speeding up response to information, increase in patient information confidentiality, and generation of real-time data pertinent to the hospital needs. On the other hand, excessive customization, poor internet connection, system instability, inflexibility, power supply instability, user resistance to change, inadequate management support, limited IT supports as well as insufficient user training were the main challenges affecting the effective implementation of the Jeeva system. Moreover, improvement in the Jeeva system server, adequate management support, good internet connectivity, sufficient user training as well as the addition of IT staff were identified as the main solutions for effective implementation of the Jeeva system. The study concluded that despite existing challenges use of the Jeeva system at MNH yet is vital for enhancing healthcare services delivery. The study recommends among others that MNH needs to upgrade the current server to eradicate challenges related to poor response and system instability, provide regular user training and, should hire more IT personnel to ensure sufficient user support when challenges happen in the system.