From paper to precision: How Helse Midt-Norge streamlined workforce planning across the entire health region—covering 7 hospitals, pharmacies, and the technology department.
Lead Product Manager
The challenge
Helse Midt-Norge, Norway’s Central Health Region, faced significant complexity in managing shift schedules across seven hospitals, psychiatric units and pharmacies. Before digitalization, planning was handled via paper rosters and phone calls. Managers lacked real-time visibility into staffing levels, substitute availability, and alignment with legal compliance, making workforce planning time-consuming and error prone.
The consequences were operational inefficiencies, risk of non-compliance with labour regulations, and a lack of overview of personnel competence and availability. It was hard to adjust to sick leave and changing needs, which made daily planning slower and less flexible.
The solution
Helse Midt-Norge partnered with Tietoevry to co-develop Lifecare Workforce Planner—now part of the Lifecare Resource Optimization suite. What began in 2000 as a joint innovation project has evolved into a mission-critical system used by 22,000 employees daily, at Helse Midt-Norge as well as in 24 municipalities across Norway.
The solution enables real-time shift scheduling, always updated overview of absences and substitutes and an employee app ensuring seamless communication between manager and employee. Lifecare Workforce Planner automatically ensures full compliance with Norwegian labour laws and union agreements, eliminating manual checks.
Lifecare Workforce Planner is tightly integrated with Helse Midt-Norge’s personnel system and payroll system SD Worx—keeping employee, position, and shift data in sync to ensure accurate payroll and minimize administrative overhead.
About the customer
Helse Midt-Norge is one of Norway’s four regional health authorities. The region includes:
- 7 hospitals, including St. Olav’s Hospital in Trondheim
- Ambulance services, pharmacies, and the regional IT organization (Hemit)
- Over 22,000 employees scheduled using the platform daily
Time savings for department managers
Department managers report saving up to 1.5 hours per day on administrative scheduling tasks—thanks to centralized approvals, smooth sick leave handling, and real-time shift allocation.
Legal and regulatory compliance
The system validates all shift plans against applicable labor laws and agreements. It can be tailored to meet national and local regulations—ensuring compliance and reducing the risk of violations.
Mobile self-service empowers staff
Staff use the mobile application to view schedules, track salaries, and apply for open shifts—boosting transparency and flexibility.
The future
Lifecare Workforce Planner is evolving from a traditional Windows solution into a fully web-based product with enhanced usability, performance, and flexibility. Developed in close Nordic collaboration—with Helse Midt-Norge as an active pilot partner—it is also being integrated into Tietoevry Care’s Lifecare Resource Optimization platform, enabling seamless production planning, scheduling, and service planning.
"Working side by side with Tietoevry’s experts who know our domain, we’ve created a workforce planning system that reflects our unique needs and ensures long-term value."