By Patrice Waters, Founder & President, Tailored Testing Services
Previously, we explored how Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, The Rolling Stones, Coldplay, Elton John, and Michael Jackson used program management principles to deliver some of the most successful tours in history. We also introduced the idea that drug testing programs are more than a series of disconnected tasks; they are strategic programs with life-saving outcomes.
Now, let’s dig deeper. How do we actually apply program management principles to drug testing in a way that improves efficiency, compliance, and safety? The answer lies in one of the simplest, most effective frameworks in continuous improvement: Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA).
The PDCA cycle: A musician’s encore
The PDCA cycle, popularized by quality guru W. Edwards Deming, often is applied in manufacturing and healthcare – but its power translates seamlessly into drug testing. Let’s break it down with an entertainment parallel.
1. Plan
- Tour: Design the schedule, book venues, plan logistics.
- Drug Testing: Develop policies, determine frequency, select vendors, train collectors.
2. Do
- Tour: Perform the concert.
- Drug Testing: Administer tests, manage logistics, report results.
3. Check
- Tour: Analyze ticket sales, crowd engagement, technical performance.
- Drug Testing: Audit turnaround times, verify compliance, evaluate accuracy.
4. Act
- Tour: Adjust setlists, improve staging, enhance transportation.
- Drug Testing: Update policies, retrain staff, negotiate new contracts, add software/technology.
This cycle repeats endlessly. No tour is perfect, and no drug testing program should be static. Each iteration should drive improvement.
Case Study: The DOT Parallel
Consider a DOT-regulated company with hundreds of drivers. Its drug and alcohol testing obligations include:
- Pre-employment
- Random
- Post-accident
- Reasonable suspicion
- Return-to-duty and follow-up
Individually, these look like projects, but viewed programmatically, they form an interconnected system ensuring compliance and safety. A strong program:
- anticipates spikes in random testing volume.
- has contingency collectors on standby for post-accident calls.
- integrates Medical Review Officer (MRO) review and reporting seamlessly.
- reviews policy annually to ensure alignment with evolving regulations.
- leverages technology to improve the customer experience.
This is no different from Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres tour, which had to anticipate every logistical wrinkle—from environmental sustainability goals to local regulations—before the first note was played.
The business case for program management in drug testing
Why does this matter? Because the difference between a project mindset and a program mindset shows up on the bottom line.
When drug testing is managed project by project:
- Delays in one area cascade into others.
- Compliance gaps emerge.
- Costs escalate due to inefficiencies.
- Risk exposure increases.
When drug testing is managed programmatically:
- Turnaround times improve.
- Compliance audits are smoother.
- Costs stabilize or decrease.
- Culture of safety strengthens.
- Customer satisfaction and loyalty improve.
The contrast is as stark as a bar band playing a local club versus Elton John selling out Madison Square Garden. Both involve music and audiences, but the scale and outcomes are worlds apart.
The encore: Bringing it home
Let’s return to the concert experience – the one where the lights dimmed, the music swelled, and you felt connected to thousands of strangers in one unified moment. That seamless experience didn’t happen by chance. It was a product of disciplined program management.
Now imagine your drug testing program with the same level of coordination, foresight, and execution. Imagine policies that are living documents, training that evolves with needs, testing that integrates smoothly with business operations, and results that inspire confidence rather than frustration.
That’s the encore your business deserves.
Whether you are running a global concert tour or managing a mid-sized fleet, program management principles apply. The show must go on—and when managed programmatically, it doesn’t just go on, it delivers outcomes that transform organizations.
If you’d like to learn more about applying program management to your drug testing program—or if you’re curious about how frameworks like PDCA can save you time, money, and headaches—I would be happy to connect.
Because at the end of the day, success in both music and business isn’t about one good performance. It’s about the program that keeps the entire tour—and your workplace—running strong.