I think almost everyone in the Pathology Department has seen, heard, or received hands-on training with Soft at some point over the past few years. For anyone out there who hasn’t, let me provide a brief description: Soft is a vendor-based laboratory information system that we will be deploying in the Core, Micro, and Flow Labs effective August 11, 2012.
PRIOR TO GO-LIVE
We are just a few days before go-live. Everyone in the respective labs has been trained, instruments have been validated, and we’re waiting for 8/11/2012.
Remember . . . you need to log-on to the Citrix icon with your JHED ID and password (what you use to access Outlook email or your Payroll info on-line). You then log-on to the appropriate Soft module within the Citrix desktop using your Soft ID and password.
During the days prior to go-live (8/6-10), you will also be able to access the Soft Test environments to continue to practice with the system if necessary.
AT GO-LIVE
In an effort to fully support the Go-Live, members of PDS, the Soft build team, and vendor representatives will be on site 24/7 from 9:00 a.m. Saturday, 8/11, through Friday, 8/17, and longer, if needed.
Staffing will be staggered with at least two members on the Soft build team and PDS personnel on-site at all hours during the first week of Go-Live, with the Soft build team floating through the labs to assist with instrument switching, password resets, and any Soft-related questions/issues through the first few days.
Support staff for the Soft Go-Live will be located in Meyer B-105 (General Work Room with vendor support), Meyer B-121 (Quiet Room for answering phones), and Meyer B-130 (Troubleshooting Room).
The following is a list of events that will occur on 8/11 that all lab personnel need to be aware of:
8/11 (Saturday)
- 9:00 a.m. – PDS Downtime for necessary Soft-related changes
- 10:00 a.m. – PDS comes back on-line
- 12:00 noon – Soft comes on-line
8/13 (Monday)
- 7:00 a.m. – All Outreach sites will come on-line
After 12:00 noon on 8/11, when Soft is Live, if you have an issue and cannot locate a Lab Super User or a Build Team Member, you should call one of these three numbers:
Ext. 7-4296 (443-287-4296)
Ext. 7-4300 (443-287-4300)
Or Ext. 5-HELP (Ext. 5-4357) in the event you cannot get through to either 7-4296 or 7-4300.
Either of the first two numbers will connect you to Meyer B-121 where someone there will take your information. When calling, you should be prepared with the following information:
- Your name, JHED ID, and Soft ID.
- Problem Type – Instrument Issue, Printer, Access to (Citrix or Soft).
- Soft Module you are trying to access.
- Patient Information, if applicable – Medical Record, Order Number, Tests, etc.
- A brief description of the problem.
AFTER GO-LIVE
Throughout the 24/7 support process, the Support team will be monitoring the system, the trouble tickets and any issues. At some point — probably after 7-10 days, a determination will be made to move to a standard on-call support module.
Once a decision is made, communication will go out from the Department that 24/7 support on-site will be shut down at a specified time. Going forward, any Soft-related issues or problems will be called to the Hopkins Help Desk at 5-HELP (ext. 5-4357). PDS will continue to maintain its current support module utilizing ext. 5-2656 for all PDS issues or problems.
What this means: If you are a lab utilizing the Soft system and you have a problem with Soft, you’ll call 5-HELP (ext. 5-4357). If you are a lab utilizing PDS and you encounter a problem, you’ll call 5-2656.
Gregory Rex
Soft Applications Project Leader
Department of Pathology
Johns Hopkins Hospital
[email protected]