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an advisory group or council of stakeholders can also be very effective in ensuring
customer needs and demands are met throughout the business plan process
.(2)
4. Services Plan Component. The information gathered in the planning stage regarding
industry trends and protocols will be very helpful when putting together the service plan.
Generally after the needs and demand assessment has been performed, a definitive list of
potential services will have been identified. If not, the assessment should be conducted
again, or redirected. Some programs start with implementation of only a few services,
(such as delivering interactive direct care.) Other programs implement all parts of the
business plan, such as technology vendors, network providers, etc. The services plan
determines how the selected services will be delivered Service delivery may be by any
modality such as interactive, video, web-based, or store-and-forward. For instance, for an
interactive service delivery model, consideration should be given to the location of the
service providers the location of the patients or consumers, and the guidelines and
protocols required for delivering services. In a web-based product, service plan
considerations would include feasibility and practicality of web-based applications,
number and types of hosting companies, in-house versus out-sourcing server applications,
etc. . Ultimately, the services plan is integrated with the technology and financial
components. Planners must be aware of service reimbursement generation. For example
will there be payment for professional fees for direct care services, for consulting or
maintenance agreements, or from a per service use? There are many pricing models to
consider with the service offerings. As the service plan matures, it is possible additional
components will need to be incorporated into the technology plan. For instance, a web-