When budgets get tight the first reaction is to cut as much as you can from your project budget. One of the first things to go is your external resources. Vendor added resources, external consultants and additional module effort aimed at proving "value added" to the organization.
IT projects are tricky enough, without adding to your own stress level. Balancing daily customer support requirements while implementing a new solution requires additional resources. No doubt about it. So why do organizations think they can support an EMR or Practice Management project on their own?
Have you experienced a successful project implementation with just internal resources? As an IT Director I spent most of my time battling the silos instead of managing the project. The political landscape often dictates what can be accomplished during the project, not what is best to maximize the ROI of your IT investment.
I am seeing firsthand the effects and having to assess the damage from various clients that decided to Fly Solo during a project. Sure, you can call Air Traffic Control for advice, but there is something to be said about having a seasoned Airline Pilot in the right seat.
