MPV Validation: Operational Insights
Purpose: The goal of this study was to investigate the underlying challenges and pain points of the users of the Operational Database (ODB). The findings from this study would (in)validate the outcomes of an internal ideation workshop led by a consulting firm, specifically around the desired functionality of operational insight tools.
This project was a collaborative effort between myself, the Director of Product Discovery, and key internal stakeholders of the Operational Insights team, including the AVP, Product Director, and Product Owner.
Challenge: Healthcare executives—especially Chief Nursing Officers (CNOs) and Chief Supply Chain Officers (CSCOs)—face significant pain points in accessing, synthesizing, and acting on operational data. Many rely on fragmented systems, manual processes, and retrospective reporting to make high-stakes decisions around staffing, throughput, and resource allocation.
The Operational Insights team hypothesized that a more integrated, real-time data solution would:
Improve Operational Efficiency – Executives could identify bottlenecks in workflows and processes, leading to cost savings and enhanced productivity
Enhance Financial Performance – Access to detailed financial data could improve budget allocation, expense reduction and revenue cycle management
Optimize Staffing Levels – Data insights could enable optimal workforce planning, balancing patient care quality with labor costs
Benchmark Against Peers – Comparing financial and operational performance with similar institutions could highlight areas needing improvement or investment
Reduce Patient Wait Times – Operational data might reveal inefficiencies causing delays, enabling better patient satisfaction strategies
Predict Patient Admission Trends – Utilizing data analytics to forecast admissions could assist in resource planning and capacity management
Enhance Regulatory Compliance – Data insights could help identify compliance gaps, reducing the risk of penalties and improving governance
Improve Patient Outcomes – Linking operational efficiency with patient care data could reveal opportunities to enhance clinical outcomes
Identify Revenue Leakage – Financial insights could uncover billing errors or missed charges, leading to increased revenue
Drive Planning & Growth – Data-driven insights could inform long-term strategic decisions, including mergers, acquisitions or service expansions
Approach:
After a brief initial meeting with the Operational Insights AVP, Product Director, and Product Owner to onboard this project, our next step was to meet with the larger Operational Insights team to identify key knowledge gaps about users, assumptions made during the internal ideation process, and existing
The research and discovery team conducted moderated, hour-long interviews with CNOs and CSCOs from 17 healthcare organizations. Using a hypothesis-driven interview guide, we sought to:
Understand Executive Challenges
(In)Validate Hypothesis
(In)Validate Proposed MVP Functionality
Evaluate Data Needs and Utilization
