With the world becoming more and more data-centric and online, effective case management can seem rather complicated. To combat this, many companies have created Case Management Software to make tasks more efficient and less time-consuming. Now you may not even know what case management software is, if that’s the case feel free to read all about it here.
Now you will hear every provider say that their software can accomplish this, though sometimes it's hard to know just how this is done. Kind of like buying a car for the first time, the dealership will tell you how a certain Toyota Camry would be an amazing addition to your life though you may not know just what makes it such. Well here we will go every the seven ways that key features in the best case management software can make your life easier
1. “How Can it Make Budgeting Easier?”
The premiere case management providers will include a feature that will help you distribute grants easily and effectively. With such a feature you can disburse money from any specific grant to specific programs and activities down to a micro-level and maintain tight control of your organization’s budget and avoid overspending. This feature also makes it easier for organizations to communicate budget and funding needs. You can learn more about PlanStreet’s Grant System and features here.
2. “How can we implement this new software with our current applications seamlessly?”
It's no question that nowadays, there is a lot of software that needs to be used in order to be successful in any field. Take social media, for example, work in social media requires multiple platforms like Facebook and YouTube, not to mention third-party tools such as Hootsuite and SEM Rush.
That is why it's important to have easy integration between your case management software system and software you use every day that is crucial for an organization’s success. The premier software providers have no shortage of integration to make day-to-day operations as smooth as possible. PayPal, Microsoft Word, Google Calendar; are all pieces of software that one should expect to be integrated into some sort of way into the case management software. Check out the plethora of app integrations coded into PlanStreet here.
3. “How does making the software accessible out of the office keep the wheels turning?”
Not everyone in an organization will be able to work under the same roof 100% of the time. Either due to sickness or an important trip, you can bet on an important member of your organization to be out of the office once in your organization’s lifetime. That is why it’s important to make sure they do not miss a beat.
This is why we are seeing more and more applications switch to a cloud-based server data structure. With these features, you can access reports and data from anywhere at any place. Even better is that some software providers will include an offline feature in form submissions in case your internet goes out or you are at a place with very low bandwidth. PlanStreet is one of these providers.
4. “Do I need to learn how to code?”
Let's be honest here for a second, very few people know a lick about coding. Heck, I have taken college-level courses in programming and can't really explain how a root function works or how to make it work. Though what exactly is an API? Well, Application Programming Interface (API) is a software middleman that allows two apps to communicate with one another. You utilize an API every time you use an app like Facebook, send an instant message, or check the weather on your phone.
Now that alone can go over some people's heads and when implementing software into an organization, sometimes you will have to mess with API. To do that you may need to contract a software engineer, which will cost your organization thousands since the 75th percentile of software engineers cost around $50 per hour according to ZipRecruiter.
This is why it is paramount to make sure that the software your organization uses has an automatic API generation feature. Not every provider has this though, thankfully PlanStreet does offer this feature in our advanced form builder that allows you to easily drag & drop your form components to create online forms.
5. “How to keep track of my team's tasks?”
An issue every organization will have from time to time is not quite knowing what needs to be done and who is supposed to be doing it. This can be caused by a variety of reasons: a missed email, forgetting to inform someone, lack of communication. Though the cream-of-the-crop software providers include features that allow for easier accountability of responsibilities in your organization.
If you are familiar with the third-party app Monday, this kind of feature is identical to that. You can assign teammates tasks, layout what needs to be done and send out an email to the person assigned when the task is created. An email will also be sent out whenever an update to the case is created. Thankfully, PlanSteet includes this easy accountability feature in our software.
6. “Just how does the software help me to present data easily?”
Data is one of the trickiest things any organization will have to go through for an effective existence. Numbers that seem like they don't mean much and worry about bending that data too much just to fill a specific agenda. This is why Data Scientists are one of the highest-paid positions in today’s job marketplace. An effective software provider shouldn’t make this harder than it needs to be. Some providers have you monotonously go through extra steps in order to just create a chart or visualize your data.
The more complicated it is to create a data visualization, the more likely a human error will happen in the process. Most organizations will base their strategy on these visualizations, using their data as a roadmap to fulfill their mission. So ease of reporting then becomes critical, this is why the premier case management software systems provide simple drag and drop reporting. To give that extra spice, PlanStreet comes included with an embedded version of Microsoft Power BI, the leading software in reporting and data analytics. You can learn more about that here.
7. “How to make sure my data is secure?”
Your data is not only valuable to build your roadmap but it's required to maintain trust with your clients and your community. Not to mention that for some organizations, such as non-profit health organizations like hospitals and small-town practices, it is required by federal law through HIPAA.
This makes it paramount that any software you use that contains such sensitive information MUST BE SECURE. The best way you can do this is to talk with the provider to make sure that they are at the bare minimum HIPAA compliant. You can explore how PlanSteet keeps information secure here.
Upgrade your organization so you can focus on what really matters - Helping People.
Schedule an Introductory call with us today!