Jeroen: I reached out to Alistar because we noticed it was becoming increasingly difficult to find qualified and suitable IT staff. Working in healthcare requires a slightly different set of skills from an employee, even in the IT department. At Van Neynsel, we also transitioned to an internal service desk that had to be available 24/7. We needed a specific type of employee for that, and Alistar had just the right people.
Stefanie: Our Managing Consultants established the framework for this, after which we worked together to introduce the ISA desk (Information, Service, and Advice) that you had conceived. We were able to get started within two months. Our main task was to empower users—in this case, healthcare and support staff—to be self-reliant, and to ensure that processes and policies were formally documented. All of this was done with the primary goal of giving healthcare workers as much time as possible to provide care.
Jeroen: What really struck me was how much the people at Van Neynsel and Alistar are alike. In our healthcare organization, we focus on the human aspect: what does a person need to be happy? That’s where Van Neynsel and Alistar find common ground. In IT, you don’t focus primarily on the technology, but on what the end user needs. An Alistar consultant may not have a background in IT, but does possess the skills to listen carefully and understand the end user’s needs. Plus the drive to delve deeper into the field. That’s how we operate as well: by applying a social approach, we focus on person-centered care that has a positive impact on quality of life and job satisfaction. In doing so, we draw on the talents of professionals from diverse backgrounds. Some of our staff do not have a healthcare background, but they do possess the skills to put the person—rather than the patient—at the center.
We've given our IT a face.
Jeroen: We have three roles here: service desk staff, the service desk coordinator, and the functional administrators. This team consists of a mix of Alistar consultants and our own employees. Together, they manage the applications we use at Van Neynsel. That collaboration is going very well because we’re truly doing it together. We’re constantly optimizing. Of course, it’s quite a challenge: ISA is new, and the staff are new. That’s a significant step. It has given our IT department a face, because we’re now accessible in person at the building, as well as by phone and through a digital portal.
Stefanie: People can now see what happens to their questions. It creates transparency, and transparency leads to understanding. We’ve certainly had to overcome a few hurdles, but we’ve been able to work well together to lay a foundation on which Van Neynsel can continue to build. On behalf of Alistar, we’re really putting a lot of energy and time into this.
Jeroen: What I find unique is that Alistar’s goal isn’t to assign as many IT consultants to us as possible, but rather that we work together to set goals regarding the quality of the service desk. Alistar also serves as a very flexible workforce for us. That’s why it works. It gives us breathing room. We can scale up or down whenever we want. And that’s not always possible with other providers. The coordination between Stefanie and me is also very important in this regard; it’s great to have such direct communication. If something comes up, I can always call her, and we always manage to work it out. The intention on both sides is to create something truly wonderful together.
Stefanie: We feel like we’re part of the same company. And it’s not just us—the consultants who do the work feel the same way. There’s no difference between Alistar consultants and Van Neynsel employees when it comes to drive and a commitment to quality. Ultimately, we’re all doing this for the clients. The ability to put yourself in the end user’s shoes—in this case, the employee—creates a connection.
The fact that Alistar also has the ability to provide training means that this partnership goes far beyond a mere client relationship.
Jeroen: What we provide is a support service for Van Neynsel’s employees. ISA is the channel through which all requests come in. If a door is broken somewhere, the report comes in through ISA and we take care of it. But Wi-Fi outages are also reported to ISA. And, of course, the deployment of our care technology—the alarms, sensors in the rooms—is all integrated into our IT infrastructure. It really has to work, and if it stops working for even a moment, we need to be able to fix it as quickly as possible.
Stefanie: Don't forget about maintaining the Electronic Client Record, either. It's so extensive and important—and therefore essential—that it works properly.
Jeroen: Ultimately, it comes down to this: healthcare workers need to be able to provide as much care as possible. They should be focusing on people, rather than technical details. Alistar is a huge help to us in that regard.
Stefanie: We're really on the right track together. We're constantly looking for ways to improve. This isn't just a matter of bringing in IT consultants; it's a partnership to help Van Neynsel move forward together.
Jeroen: I hope that in the coming years we’ll grow even closer together, as one team. This includes having our permanent staff trained by Alistar, so that it doesn’t matter to the user who helps them. And so that the user feels seen and supported. That’s our approach to delivering our care and running our ISA service desk. The fact that Alistar also has the capability to provide training means this partnership goes far beyond just a client relationship. You’re really building something, and we hope to continue doing that together for many years to come.
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