GSK PULSE Assignment Versus GSK Brasov's Orange Day

Well, it wasn't a part of my initial assignment but it did seem like too good an opportunity to pass up. To help create an intranet site for Hospice Casa Sperantei based on SharePoint.

Given that I have had some exposure to SharePoint through using it and implementing Sites and Sub-Sites in GSK Australia, I thought that it was something I could start to play with and work towards implementing closer to the end of my time in Romania. I quickly realised that having full access to SharePoint and not just the GSK templates on offer to us at home meant I would need significant software designer experience and assistance. Enter GSK Brasov.

A little background. Early in my PULSE assignment I met with Marius, IT Director at GSK Brasov when we were both running in the Hospice Crosa (me 4km, he, the full course). I suggested a partnership at this stage and a plan started to form. Orange Day is one day a year given to GSK employees to dedicate to a charity, either individually or as a part of their team. I thought, I wonder whether we can partner the PULSE project and Orange Day in a collaborative IT project? When I proposed this concept to Marius, he agreed to help. After a few initial meetings with Marius and his  team and a brief introduction to the Hospices requirements, the day was set.

At 9.30am the A-team arrived. Victor, the Hospice IT Director and I completed a quick brief on what our expectations and needs were for the project. Basically we wanted a simple intranet site that was in keeping with the Hospice design and profile and inclusive of the teams collaborative needs. Reservation bookings, Event Calendars, Newsletter, Blog Spot, Announcements and Employee Look-Ups were a few of the major features.

A quick overview of the project

 

10am the team had a Inpatients Unit Site Tour, to get an idea of who their work would eventually be benefiting. As one of the staff members at the Hospice said, they usually receive volunteers to help with patients or events but very few people think of the IT infrastructure and its requirements. However if what was created today worked well, there would be nothing to stop Victor and the Hospice from taking the site global to the groups within the network in the UK, Moldova, Serbia, USA and Scotland.

Hospice Casa Sperantei - A Beacon of Hope in Romania

Mirabela, our Volunteers Coordinator explaining the role of the Hospice
and the valuable work they do.

 

Petruta explaining the work of the Medical team to the group

 

Preparing a ward for patients. Although palliative care is a
heart-wrenching industry to be working in, the team at
Hospice Casa Sperantei put the patients needs first, ensuring that
their last moments are filled with light and a peace-filled environment.

11am, The work started. The initial designs were taken back to scratch and the whole site rebuilt. The team were focused, energised and brought a whole new viewpoint and set of ideas to what we initially conceptualised. Proof that a well-structured team can work wonders.

1pm. The team were focused but needed a pick me up. Pizza?

From 1.30pm to around 6pm the team worked furiously. They completed the overall design of the intranet, the IT ticketing system and a strong basis for launch. All that is left for Victor and I to do is add the appropriate web-parts and content. They didn't leave until their tasks were complete and we were all satisfied with the result. What they offered us today was five IT experts, full time on a singular project. Realistically this task could not have been achieved by the Hospices dedicated team of two people given they would need to complete their every day activities as well as implement the site. This would entail payment from Hospices for training, time out of their regular jobs not to mention the need for additional resource. This project could literally run into thousands of dollars to achieve what GSK were able to implement in a day. To say that I am grateful is an understatement.

Mirabela and Victor - They are grateful too :)

Home time!! A job well done

Acknowledgements

Marius Istrate - Service Manager of the Web Technology Centre, GSK - Brasov
Victor Anania - IT Director of Hospice Casa Sperantei Romania
Victor Miron - SharePoint Expert and Overall Designer of Hospice Intranet Page
Sorin Allinca - SharePoint Expert
Codruta Alexandru - SharePoint Expert
Stefan Bustan - SharePoint Expert
Mirabela Vasile - Volunteer Co-ordinator, Hospice Casa Sperantei
Petruta Anania - Assistant Co-ordinator, Social Division