Ultimate Guide to Client Tracking and Case Management Software

Editor's Notes

• #3: Cary? talk about TechWorks MAP services Intros of audience members What software are you using? Making a purchase in 2014? My background – CRM company 8.5 years, product development, sales and marketing, training and implementation, about 300 orgs MAP consulting on software selection and data mgt best practices, publish and speak on this topic frequently
• #5: What do you already know? What can this type of software do for you?
• #6: Learn from your mistakes Logic models, outcome based management
• #7: Should be at 2:15
• #8: ClientTrack demo here. Adam is a database consultant at MACC. He does implementations, training and support.
• #9: Trend toward SaaS Fragmented, niche players Volunteer management, fundraising, communication; integration Freeform – new one I just encountered, built on open source platform called Formulize, Canadian. Maybe similar to CiviCRM in the nonprofit CRM market – very flexible, inexpensive, requires tech expertise and most people would have to hire a consultant to set it up. ServicePoint – specializes in social service agencies with government contracts? Therap, Care Logic and Procentive – used in behavioral health, Procentive handles billing and some coordination with county Mpower is really collaborative and participant centered, NAZ is using.
• #10: Importance of a structured, deliberate process
• #11: Talk about KOM’s approach, how they already had their logic model and evaluation criteria figured out. E.D. was committed to leading the change and dedicating resources to it. Found a funder to help with the up front costs, including working with a consultant to refine their requirements and guide them in selecting and implementing the software. Nail down your theory of change and logic model first, key outcomes and evaluation user buy-in – desire to use data to be more effective not just satisfy funder requirements United Way has some standard demographics but specific grant requirements can vary widely. consider cost (time) to collect, input and analyze data along with cost of the database itself
• #12: Reporting…think about other tools you might want to upload data to, or funder requirements. All of the food systems in MN report to Second Harvest Heartland. Medical Assistance has its own system which providers are required to enter/submit data to. Employment programs have MFIP reporting requirements. Literacy (esp ELL) programs have standard pre/post test system. etc
• #13: include a program person on your selection committee! At KOM we had a team of ED, admin/IT person, 3 key program directors Ask Good Questions: where are unmet needs, gaps in service delivery that this needs to support? What data could help us make better strategic decisions, or improve quality of care? Prioritize/Rank – identified that ease of use, affordability, security and reporting were all very important But it was hard to get people to rank them and figure out what tradeoffs would be made.
• #14: Sample of an evaluation worksheet used by one of my clients
• #16: Support Tablets security levels e.g. for supervisor review of data (chart audits) Ease of Use, streamlining data entry and minimizing duplication flexibility in what constitutes a household or family data visualization; able to report not just on outputs e.g. this service was utilized X times, but also unduplicated counts of people receiving services, and their progress e.g. X% of participants achieved their attendance goal. Integration: eMail, Web and Social Media; billing and timekeeping Swipecard checkin integration (esp for food shelf, shelter, youth programs)
• #17: Ask for SLA “what remedies”
• #20: Training and data entry/maintenance policies – enter data right after or during visits. Minute Clinic. Train people to do documentation properly, in an objective manner with useful details but not too much, and in compliance with your discipline specific standards. 3 Month Review Annual Tune-up and Clean-up – build in time for data hygiene, buy a pizza.
• #21: To highlight: cost of ownership: training, ongoing development (makes the data more understandable and increasingly valuable, evolves with you) have a back-up or two on your DB admin, for continuity in case of staff turnover roles and ownership: who owns the data, who gets credit, who has administrative and maintenance responsibilities, who gets credit for the research report --3:00--
• #22: Covering 4 that have large user base, lot of flexibitly
• #23: From Shane Miller at MACC: Client Track solution is for orgs that want one view of a client across multiple programs, adapts to multiple types of programming, that is why it is in my top 4. Reporting tool very versatile for on-the-fly reporting. ETO relies more on configured reports. MACC provides local implementation support and help desk, help integrate it into your org. Standard pricing based on number of users, can also do bigger up front and lower ongoing fee if the org wants to do it that way. 1-10 users $650 per month 11-15 users $940 per month We don’t charge upfront fees or any future configuration fees. We also have a special rate for volunteers in which we count 5 volunteers as 1 user   Initial cost might seem more but their service is unlimited, don’t underestimate the value of that. Lot of implementation support, not just up front but ongoing, and help with building reports. Training: 9 two-hour sessions to start, and ongoing training and support, local user group meets monthly and there are about 15 regular participants. Everything is mobile (same as the others).
• #24: 1-5 users $125/mo 6-10 users $250 11-15 users $325 Expect to pay $10-20K over 3 years
• #26: PerformWell is a one-stop, comprehensive online resource that helps nonprofit practitioners identify performance outcome measures and effective practices in managing service delivery. It offers expert-crafted information to manage the performance of a social program effectively. This includes research-based information about program outcomes, performance indicators and measurement tools to gauge performance, as well as other tools for managing and communicating performance. Doesn’t work on all browsers – e.g. IE10 Solid product, really aggressive sales team
• #28: Exponent Partners Pricing: ~$15,000 setup with implementation partner, 10 free user licenses, additional licenses $30/user/month. Additional charges might apply for apps. Has Mailchimp integration, Quickbooks sync tools.