A Scrum Master shares the importance of having pride in what you do and to thrive, no matter what role you play, you can be part of a lasting legacy. See how she helps develop a C3 platform for a hospital to distil meaning insights to effect fast, efficient outcomes.
Ever since young, I’ve always had a penchant for all things tech. Always on the lookout for the latest developments and trying to deepen my knowledge. I was constantly challenging myself to take on projects and get into the nitty-gritty of trying to understand how things work. This I feel, was one thing that pushed me to pursue a career in the field of software development.
Within a space that is always changing and having to come up with creative methods of problem solving, I saw the perfect environment for me to pursue my passion while also making a strong career out of it.
This interest laid the foundations for me, where I now oversee a team that manages the Command, Control and Communications (C3) system at Tan Tock Seng Hospital.
This might sound like something straight out of a science-fiction novel but at its core, what it essentially does is similar to that of an air-traffic control tower, providing an overview of all the different things going on within the hospital. It monitors hundreds of different indicators such as patient flow at various departments, bed occupancy, and the availability of critical supplies.
These all come together to provide insights into how hospitals can streamline its operations and even forecast situations to allow preemptive action to be taken while also giving medical staff all the information necessary so that they can focus on patient care.
Seeing things through the eyes of a user
The role I play within all this is something like a conductor for an orchestra and a sports team coach all rolled in to one. A Scrum Master is responsible for always keeping things moving and improving, being a key resource for team members when they encounter any obstacles that prevent project progression. We are the facilitators that make the software development and deployment process as smooth as possible, constantly looking for areas and processes that can be streamlined or further built upon.
Since inception two years back, the implementation of this C3 system was a huge project and at the time, it was the first of its kind within the region. So naturally, a lot of pressure was on us as a team to make it a success. In the beginning, we delved into how a hospital operates, understands the thousand and one things that happen every single day and constantly asking ourselves.
The big, hairy question that we asked ourselves is – how can I make this better?
It was a big challenge for us and there’s no doubt in my mind that we only overcame it through every team member giving it their hundred and ten percent, supporting and advising each other to get the work done and building it into what it is today.
Here are few personal convictions that have kept me on the track towards progress and be part of building a legacy system:
• Put ourselves in the shoes of our customers and see things through the eyes of the users, and understand their operational priorities and needs. Never settle for the status quo and be hungry for improvements.
• Don’t lose sight of the goal and keep striving for it. As the saying goes, the most important step is the next step. Don’t shy away from difficult situations. Make mistakes and learn from the experiences.
• Build teamwork and camaraderie and encourage diversity of opinions. A team that actively collaborates and co-create can conjure new ideas and unique solutions for end-users.
Playing a part in defending epidemic with agile process
When it came to dealing with the recent COVID-19 outbreak here in Singapore, we’re at the very heart of the situation, providing support to the frontline operations team at the hospital through system updates so that we can supply them with up-to-date data to make informed decisions. Making use of agile development principles and scalability of the C3 system, we’re doing our best to always give them the edge, rolling out new functions every two weeks through constant consulting, adapting and implementing new features that aid our end users in systematically solving any operational or logistical issues they come across. It was, and still is a thrilling ride.
Today, we are looking to replicate our successful deployment into other hospitals in Singapore and the region, while also looking for ways to make it more efficient and affordable to drive mass adoption. This ever-ongoing chase for better system productivity and all the new challenges it brings means no two days are ever the same. It keeps me on my toes, and we are constantly brainstorming for fresh ideas and solutions to overcome the problem. It can be stressful at times but it always fills me with a sense of pride whenever I see the systems we helped develop and rollout being used by medical staff. With our technology being used as a force for good, we help make sure all medical staff can focus on the mission that truly matters – healing and helping to those who need it most.
