LMBE Strategic Workforce Succession Planning

The Lower Mainland Biomedical Engineering department (LMBE) has been the largest biomedical engineering department in Canada since the consolidation of the four Health Authority (HA) in-house biomedical engineering departments. It provides knowledge-based services one of which is the maintenance management of medical device used on patients. Its human capital or workforce, with its technology expertise, is their key resource in achieving operational goals. In the next few years, the LMBE department will face loss of talent and expertise as some of its 184 employees will retire and leave the organization. The department wants to find out how significant these replacement needs may become and how they could impact and affect its operations. LMBE hopes to get a clear picture of the issue, making sure that the properly qualified employees are prepared and in place for their assignments. This analysis outlines the opportunities for the LMBE to develop a sustainable business advantage through improved planning, development and usage of HR management. An internal strategic analysis of its resources and capabilities serves as background information leading onto the recommendations and plans. The recommendations are 1) focused training based on expected retirement forecasts or 2) reorganization of the LMBE plus training or 3) a combination of both. In the first option, a detailed training plan for the first two years is done with the number, length, and cost of training needed. It represents a short-term solution. The second option is a longer term recommendation which will require a more detailed implementation plan with associated costs involved. This solution is recommended but the implementation plan is deferred until it is approved. The third option is a combination of both first and second options.