GE Healthcare faced significant challenges with the integration of patient and financial data from their competitors’ software into its Centricity Practice Solutions and Electronic Medical Records (EMR) systems. The process was time-consuming, taking no less than 30 days to set up codes and templates, requiring extensive manual data entry.  Any error made during set up could result in the provider not being reimbursed for services delivered. This also caused delays in the setup and Go Live phases, and like most software companies, customers do not make payments until they have successfully “gone live” an event which triggered the invoicing for licenses, services, and support.  Delayed go lives were problematic for both the medical organization and GE as it created a delay in the revenue cycle for both parties; The customer is delayed in billing to insurance providers, and GE in turn experiences a delay in payment from the customer. 

Delayed customer adoption has significant financial impact

When a company experiences over 150 days in delayed payments, its cash flow can be significantly impacted in several ways:

• Reduced Cash Reserves: Delayed payments mean the company has less cash available to meet its immediate obligations, such as payroll, rent, utilities, and supplier payments​
• Strained Working Capital: Working capital, which is crucial for day-to-day operations, gets tied up in accounts receivable, limiting the company’s ability to fund operational needs and growth opportunities​
• Higher Interest Expenses: To cover the shortfall in cash flow, companies may need to resort to borrowing, often at high-interest rates, which increases the cost of capital and affects profitability​
• Diminishing Profit Margins: Increased borrowing costs and potential late fees can erode profit margins, impacting overall financial performance​
• Financial Health: Persistent cash flow problems can lead to insolvency or bankruptcy if the company is unable to manage its financial obligations effectively​
• Credit Rating Impact: Prolonged delays in payments can lead to a downgrade in the company’s credit rating, making future borrowing more expensive and difficult
• Supply Chain Issues: Inability to pay suppliers on time can disrupt the supply chain, leading to potential delays in production and delivery of goods and services
• Supplier Relationships: Strained relationships with suppliers due to delayed payments can lead to less favorable terms in the future or even loss of essential suppliers
• Customer Trust: Delays in fulfilling financial obligations can damage the company’s reputation, eroding customer trust and loyalty, which can impact sales and long-term relationships.

GE Healthcare was not alone in this dilemma. Even today, while the integration of automated data entry systems has been increasing, a significant portion of software still relies on manual data entry. As of recent statistics, over 40% of companies continue to use manual data entry for certain processes due to challenges such as data integration, costs, and the complexity of automation solutions. Specific industries, such as healthcare and finance, often face stricter regulations and the need for highly accurate data handling, which can make the transition to automated systems slower.

Manual data entry is still prevalent due to various factors:

• Complexity and Cost: Smaller companies often perceive the transition to automated systems as complex and costly, preferring to stick with manual methods.  Medical specialists in fields like Anesthesia, Ophthalmology, and Dentistry often need to submit and retain complex reporting and data on services provided beyond ICD10 and CPT codes.
• Lack of Integration: Many businesses use a variety of tools that do not easily integrate, making the switch to automated systems more challenging.
• Regulatory and Security Concerns: Industries handling sensitive information, such as healthcare and finance, tend to rely on manual data entry to ensure compliance with regulations and maintain data security.

Being ready, willing and able to overcome the challenge

It became imperative for GE Healthcare to streamline the data integration process, reduce setup times, and enhance overall efficiency for customers transitioning to GE Healthcare’s products.  As a previous customer of Centricity Practice Solutions, I had spent hours setting up the software, so I was acutely aware of the neckaches and eye strain I developed from hours of data entry done at night so we could be ready to use the software on the set date.  I set out to tackle the problem, hoping to find IT engineers with not only the expertise but the willingness to take on the risk since errors would have even worse financial impact and result in completely broken trust not to mention limited career growth.  Yet we knew the data existed in the customer’s pre-existing software.  The challenge was to extract and reconfigure it to match the data elements in Centricity Practice Solutions, for at least 6 differing competing software systems, each having various data elements, functions, and operating systems to capture, parse, and report for billing and regulatory purposes. 

GE’s Digital Center of Excellence led by Rahul Mehta was ready for the challenge. Together with his team working diligently to align and develop standards, we developed Centricity’s IT Configurator, a Data Extraction Tool designed to port patient and financial data from competitor software, conforming it into HL7 ANSI Standards and importing it into GE Healthcare’s systems. This innovative tool would automate and simplify the data transfer process, drastically reducing the time and labor required while ensuring compatibility and accuracy.  What previously took a small medical organization over 160 in manual data entry hours to set up, could now be accomplished in 30 minutes. 

Calculated risk made by domain experts exceeds expectations

We selected our first customer, a single physician owner with a standard set up and within 15 minutes, his patient data had ported over successfully, and he generated his first invoice to the patient’s insurance company.  The IT Configurator not only worked, it delivered with speed, simplicity, and accuracy, requiring no additional servers or intervention.  By the end of the month, Centricity software products were sold with the IT Configurator for customer installations, accompanied by online education materials including self-paced tutorials and job aids.  Not only had we removed the source for delayed adoption and inaccurate billing, we also:

• Reduced Installation Cycle Time: Centricity’s IT Configurator reduced the installation cycle time from 150 days to just 15 days.
• Achieved Productivity Savings: We captured over $3 million in productivity savings (labor and travel hours plus associated travel expenses for GE Healthcare’s IT and Implementation specialists) in the first year.
• Lead Time Reduction: Reduced the lead time from Quote to Cash by over 150 days, allowing GE Healthcare to capture revenue and earn interest a whole quarter earlier.
• Saved Time and Resources: Saved customers over 120 hours of manual data entry labor.
• Patented Innovation: Centricity’s IT Configurator was patented by GE Healthcare, highlighting its unique value and effectiveness.
• Generated Additional Revenue Streams: The tool became a significant revenue line item, worth $1 – $2 million in annual sales. As it turns out, when customers make or save money through our products and services, they happily pay for them.
• Grew Customer Satisfaction:  Net Promoter Scores increased dramatically from 68% to 97%, while customer attrition was reduced by 75%. We delighted customers who remained loyal which kept Support Service Agreements and Revenue in place.
• Gained Market Leadership: GE’s Centricity Practice Solutions and EMR maintained a leading position in the market for over five years, thanks in part to the efficiencies introduced by Centricity’s IT Configurator and a digital team with the expertise and willingness to tackle a challenge.

The IT Configurator not only revolutionized the data integration process but also contributed significantly to GE Healthcare’s operational efficiency and market competitiveness.  Despite the challenges that exists in highly regulated systems, the push towards automation continues, with advancements in technologies like OCR, machine learning, and AI driving greater efficiency and accuracy in data handling.  This case study demonstrates the profound impact of innovative IT solutions and a savvy and high performing team of IT Engineers can make on customer satisfaction and business performance.