Project management: importance for diagnostic laboratories.

BACKGROUND: The need for diagnostic laboratories to improve both quality and productivity alongside personnel shortages incite laboratory managers to constantly optimize laboratory workflows, organization, and technology. These continuous modifications of the laboratories should be conducted using efficient project and change management approaches to maximize the opportunities for successful completion of the project.

AIM: This review aims at presenting a general overview of project management with an emphasis on selected critical aspects.

SOURCES: Conventional project management tools and models, such as HERMES, described in the literature, associated personal experience, and educational courses on management have been used to illustrate this review.

CONTENT: This review presents general guidelines of project management and highlights their importance for microbiology diagnostic laboratories. As an example, some critical aspects of project management will be illustrated with a project of automation, as experienced at the laboratories of bacteriology and hygiene of the University Hospital of Lausanne. It is important to define clearly beforehand the objective of a project, its perimeter, its costs, and its time frame including precise duration estimates of each step. Then, a project management plan including explanations and descriptions on how to manage, execute, and control the project is necessary to continuously monitor the progression of a project to achieve its defined goals. Moreover, a thorough risk analysis with contingency and mitigation measures should be performed at each phase of a project to minimize the impact of project failures.

IMPLICATIONS: The increasing complexities of modern laboratories mean clinical microbiologists must use several management tools including project and change management to improve the outcome of major projects and activities.