The key to efficient case documentation; enter once use much.

I talk with a lot of advocacy services. One of the key issues people mention that make their lives harder is always data management.

When people initially approach the service for help, referral documentation gets filled in. If that initial contact becomes a proper case then someone retypes that information into a case file or database. As case notes build up the advocates have to type those notes into case files. Of course they then have to report their hours and expenses so they type these into the time management file or system. Finally the monthly commissioner report needs to be produced so someone has to wade into all of these systems to extract and collate the information retyping it in a format needed for the report. We haven't even begun to mention spot purchase management of statutory advocacy or retyping returning client details who have been involved in more than one case.

Shouldn't life be simpler?

I think life should be simpler. Advocates work hard and have busy days, wouldn't it be smarter, and wouldn't your service run better if you only had to enter information once and then your service could reuse it rather than retype it? This all sounds very nice but really can you expect a busy advocacy service to not have to juggle around their data? Emphatically the answer it YES. Big businesses have a keen eye on efficiencies and they spend millions on systems to ensure they don't waste personnel resources, time or money retyping data that is already available. This simply doesn't add value, just imagine what your staff could be doing instead. If these approaches are well understood and used by business why shouldn't your advocacy service benefit too?

Getting to an enter once and use more world.

There are some key steps you should consider that will get you to a more efficient data management position. Some are bigger steps than others but every point you implement will improve your efficiency freeing up time to do more with your clients.

1. Let users help you with data entry.

If you accept referrals or receive contacts from your website, link this form to your case management system so that data initially entered by the client or referral contact can be directly used to populate the case.

2. Make your contacts and case systems the same tool.

Don't take your phone referrals and contacts in a different system from the case management system. Enter it directly in your case management system and just manage these under a different status such as "initial contact". If and when these contacts become cases you can just change the status to "live referral" and use the same data.

3. Let your advocates complete case notes and reporting time / expenses at the same time in the same system.

The best opportunity to enter accurate reporting time is when you are completing your case notes, advocates know exactly how much time they've just spent with a client or on case work so reporting becomes easier and more accurate.

4. Let you advocates complete case notes any time, any place.

Wouldn't it be better it your advocates could complete their case notes maybe on the train back or even on their phone in a coffee shop rather than having to do it in the office the next day? If your case management system is not cloud based, (meaning your team can access it from anywhere) , then you are missing a big efficiency saving and a convenience your team will thank you for.

5. Capture your commissioner reporting data directly from the case management system.

When it comes to producing your commissioner reports ideally you want that data to be driven directly from your case management tool. This provides the most accurate view of your service at the current time in terms of case numbers, status, duration etc. Ideally your system should be able to access this information automatically meaning it's always there for you rather than you having to go looking for it or collating it.

But our service can't afford the tools that offer these sort of efficiencies.

Advocacy intelligence offers ADI. ADI can do all the things listed above and much, much more. It is highly customisable making it easy to adapt to your service. Importantly it is priced within the affordability range of even the smallest advocacy service, with flexible contract durations that reflect the highly unpredictable nature of project commissioning and re-tendering that services go through. Contact us for more details.