Overview of the JoinSTNassistant Portal

This section describes and discusses the web-based application (JoinSTNassistant Portal) of the JoinSTNassistant Framework. The JoinSTNassistant Portal is an empowering tool aimed at assisting and guiding HCFs in their decision to join the STN.

In order to achieve this, each HCF has to complete the following steps:

I. First step: Logging in to the JoinSTNassistant Portal

As shown in Figure 6.2, each HCF has to enter its account information (user name and password) in order to access to the JoinSTNassistant Portal. The HCF has to contact the STN agency if it does not have an account.

Figure 6.2 Login page of the JoinSTNassistant Portal

Once the HCF have logged in successfully, the JoinSTNassistant Portal will fetch accurate data of the HCF from the database of the HCFs account information. This data will enable the JoinSTNassistant Portal to:

i. Modify and adjust the JoinSTNassistant Framework so as to make it applicable to this HCF of the KSA, based on its category.

This will be done by fetching from the Framework’s database of the specific important, influential strategic-level barriers associated with each HCF’s decision to join the STN, those based on this HCF category.

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ii. Identify the specified requirements (e.g., ICT infrastructure, devices, camera, medical equipment, etc.) that are required by the STN to be available and of the required standard in the HCF sites in order to join the STN, by fetching these data from the database of the STN requirements.

Next, the JoinSTNassistant Portal utilises these data to generate electronic checklist templates. These templates have to be completed by the operational-level teams of the HCF, via the JoinSTNassistant Portal, in the next step.

Figure 6.3 illustrates the architecture diagram of the JoinSTNassistant Portal.

Figure 6.3 Architecture Diagram of the JoinSTNassistant Portal

II. Second step: Completing the electronic checklist templates generated by the JoinSTNassistant Portal

This step reflects the first stage (the pre-decision stage) of the two-main stages of decision-making process of the HCFs to join the STN. Therefore, for each of the 5 pillars of the JoinSTNassistant Framework (Human, Organisational, Technological, Environmental, and Business–financial pillars), the JoinSTNassistant Portal will generate an electronic checklist template.

Each of the generated electronic checklist templates for each pillar contains the following:

i. The specific important and influential strategic-level barriers of this pillar associated with each HCF’s decision to join the STN, based on its category.

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ii. The required tasks that must be accomplished by the HCFs to resolve each barrier.

iii. The specified requirements (e.g., ICT infrastructure, devices, camera, medical equipment, etc.) that are required by the STN to be available and of the required standard in the HCFs sites in order to join the STN.

Each relevant operational-level team of HCF must use the JoinSTNassistant Portal to complete its relevant electronic checklist template(s) by providing specific information regarding each item of these electronic templates. For instance, the operational-level financial team of the HCF has to complete the electronic checklist template(s) of the Business–financial pillar, while the operational-level ICT team of the HCF has to complete the electronic checklist template(s) of the Technological pillar, and so on.

The JoinSTNassistant Portal will generate the electronic checklist templates with content controls (i.e., fillable fields (text boxes) and/or multiple-choice lists). Thus, for each item of the electronic checklist templates, the JoinSTNassistant Portal will allow the relevant operational-level teams of HCF to provide/enter only those types of information required by the strategic-level decision makers to be provided by the operational-teams, as discussed and shown in Table 6.1. Figure 6.4 illustrates a screenshot of an example of the operational-level user’s interface of the JoinSTNassistant Portal for one of the electronic checklist templates of Human pillar.

Figure 6.4 Screenshot of the Operational-Level User’s Interface of the JoinSTNassistant Portal for Human Pillar

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Figure 6.5 illustrates a screenshot of an example of the operational-level user’s interface of the JoinSTNassistant Portal for one of the electronic checklist templates of the Organisational pillar, which has to be completed by the relevant operational-level team of the HCF.

Figure 6.5 Screenshot of the Operational-Level User’s Interface of the JoinSTNassistant Portal for Organisational Pillar

Figure 6.6 illustrates a screenshot of an example the operational-level user’s interface of the JoinSTNassistant Portal for one of the electronic checklist templates of the Technological pillar.

Figure 6.6 Screenshot of the Operational-Level User’s Interface of the JoinSTNassistant Portal for Technological Pillar

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Figure 6.7 and Figure 6.8 illustrate a screenshot of an example the operational-level user’s interface of the JoinSTNassistant Portal for one of the electronic checklist templates of the Environmental and Business-Financial pillars, respectively.

Figure 6.7 Screenshot of the Operational-Level User’s Interface of the JoinSTNassistant Portal for Environmental Pillar

Figure 6.8 Screenshot of the Operational-Level User’s Interface of the JoinSTNassistant Portal for Business-Financial Pillar

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i. Third step: Generating reports for the strategic-level decision makers of the HCF

Once the operational-level teams of the HCF have provided the required information and submitted the electronic checklist templates successfully, for each pillar of the JoinSTNassistant Framework, the JoinSTNassistant Portal can generate a report for the strategic-level decision makers. These reports are designed to be compatible with the needs and requirements of the strategic-level decision makers of the HCFs, as discussed and as shown in Table 6.1.

For instance, Figure 6.9 illustrates an example of two-different reports related to the Human pillar for the strategic-level decision makers of two diverse HCFs (HCF1 and HCF2). As shown in this figure, the two-different reports of Human pillar present only the information that is needed and required by the strategic-level decision makers of the HCFs, as discussed and shown in Table 6.1. As shown in this figure, the report of HCF1 shows that all the barriers of the Human pillars, their required tasks/proceedings, and their required specified requirements, have been resolved and/or equipped by the HCF1 (the colour code for all of them is green ()).

In contrast, the report of HCF2 shows that all the barriers of the Human pillars, their required tasks/proceedings, and their required specified requirements have not been resolved and/or equipped by the HCF2 and they suffer minor challenge(s) that could be resolved by the HCF2 (the colour code for all of them is yellow ()). Therefore, each one of these two-different reports contains different information, based on the needs and requirements of the strategic-level decision makers of the HCFs, as discussed and shown in Table 6.1.

Figure 6.10 illustrates another example of two-different reports related to the Organisational pillar for the strategic-level decision makers of two diverse HCFs (HCF1and HCF2). One of them (HCF1) where all its barriers of Organisational pillar and all their required tasks are available/resolved (the colour code for all of them is green ()). Whereas, for the HCF2, some of its barriers of Organisational pillar or some of their required tasks are Not available/resolved and they suffer minor challenge(s) that could Not be resolved by the HCF2 (the colour code for all of them is red ()).

Figure 6.9 Example of 2-Different Reports of Human Pillar for the Strategic-Level Decision Makers of 2 Diverse HCFs (HCF1and HCF2)

Figure 6.10 Example of 2-Different Reports of Organisational Pillar for the Strategic-Level Decision Makers of 2 Diverse HCFs (HCF1and HCF2)

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6.4 Conclusions

The JoinSTNassistant Portal, presented in this chapter, was developed to make the JoinSTNassistant Framework accessible to all the HCFs of the KSA, covering all the 22 different HCF categories. It has been designed to provide a powerful and user-friendly tool for assisting all KSA’s HCFs, in reaching a decision to join the STN.

The main aim was to make the Portal simple to use and to overcome the problem of the vast different characteristics and requirements of the 22 KSA’s HCF Categories.

These differences have been determined and incorporated in the Framework and the Portal in an articulated, flexible way that allows the Portal to select, extract and provide the information that is specific to and needed by the enquiring HCF.

As it was considered vitally important to involve the potential users (i.e., strategic-level decision makers of the HCFs within the KSA) of the JoinSTNassistant Framework in its development, their involvement was also considered vitally important in the development and designing of the web-based application (Portal) for this Framework, referred to as the “JoinSTNassistant Portal”, so as to ensure that it reflected their expectations and met their needs.

This involvement was ensured by interviewing and discussions with 81 strategic-level decision makers, representing the 22 categories of KSA’s HCFs, regarding their perspectives about the decision-making process of their HCFs to join the STN, and the types of information required for the proposed JoinSTNassistant Portal to be compatible with their needs and requirements about their HCF decision-making process to join the STN.

The JoinSTNassistant Portal, represented in this chapter, together with the Final Version of the JoinSTNassistant Framework, represented in Chapter 5, are validated and evaluated by their potential users (i.e., strategic-level decision makers of the HCFs within the KSA). The next chapter discusses and highlights this step and its findings.