Whether you are a non-profit organisation or a business corporation, managing multiple projects can be stressful. Large corporations and SMEs generally require someone to ensure each project is completed on time. Instead of adding further stress to a person’s already hectic schedule, implementing a case management system is the easiest and most reliable way of tracking all projects undertaken by the organisation. This article will explain the most popular uses of adopting a case management system in a charity organisation.
What is a Case Management System?
A case management system enables organisations to store information in one centralised location. It merges all departments into one platform making inter-departmental communications much simpler. It allows persons involved in the project to update the status of their role instantly and assess what else needs to be completed. Moreover, it ensures more straightforward communication between team members as all information and updates related to the project are found in a central location. While a case management system may be regarded as an independent solution, companies can integrate it into their enterprise resource systems. Whether this is the best option for you will depend on your the agency’s resources, the nature and needs of the organisation and its size.
Proven Advantages of Adopting A Case Management System
The number of benefits an organisation can enjoy from implementing a case management system is numerous. Here are some of the most popular advantages organisations can unlock from adopting such a system:
Eliminate The Use of Paper and Automate Mundane Processes
A case management system includes every minute detail in a virtual system. Hence, you are no longer required to have hard copies of every transaction or essential document that is presented in a project. Instead, all vital information will be stored in a centralised database accessible to all. This helps to ensure the information recorded is the most updated and, therefore, the most reliable for managers. As teams generally need access to the same documents, no delays need to be made in retrieving the required information.
Case Management Systems give companies a lot of time to focus on essential roles. Whether it is on innovation, preparing for a partnership meeting or anything else, a case management system removes the repetitive and mundane tasks that have been slowing you down. As it is a digital system that does not get tired, a case management system moreover removes errors from being made. In other words, no matter how long a system is running, organisations can ensure that the data they have access to is the most updated, is not repeated and has been recorded with equal attention and accuracy. Agencies can thus maximise their labour utilisation and ensure a higher productivity level.
Access Information Anytime and From Anywhere
The great thing about a case management system is that it provides remote access. Assume that a manager cannot work on a specific day or is out on a business trip. To ensure their absence does not hinder the performance of their employees, a managerial person can log into the system to monitor the progress of each project. The system breaks down project details from noting down all important information, such as who is in charge of a specific aspect of the project, to setting out or updating the project plan in real-time, thereby communicating it to the team instantly. This also allows decision-makers to predict whether more finances or resources are required if the project is to be completed on a specific deadline. This way, instead of extending the deadline later, the company can ensure enough resources are available for the project’s completion.
As data security becomes a concern when accessing the system from a remote location, importance should be given to investing in a trusted vendor. Standardised software therefore will provide access only to selected personnel with multiple layers of data encryption. Such vendors also take the additional step of backup data thereby ensuring that data would not be lost due to external factors.
Simplify Team Collaboration Increases Transparency Across the Board
Any type of project requires team collaboration. Whether big or small, one or more persons will be in charge of a specialised task. While each person will have their own responsibilities, it is crucial that the entire team is informed and are on the same page at all times. A case management system significantly helps in this regard. In addition to specifying who is in charge, everyone else is notified every time a person completes an integral part of the project. It also optimises the information sharing stage, as teams often spend time requesting documents from one another, delaying things unnecessarily.
This means a case management system leaves no room for miscommunication. It, therefore, no longer matters whether you missed a meeting with the team or are unsure of the changes that have been implemented. Considering that everyone would generally be given access to the system, a digitalised screen that specifies and breaks down everything regarding the project is provided. Thus, members can easily be updated on all developments with just one glance at the system. Since the person who completes any transaction will have it recorded, it also does not allow anyone to benefit from unethical conduct or corruption.
Significantly Reduce Human Errors
Where humans are in charge of specific tasks that are specifically repetitive in nature, it is essential to note that people need breaks to recharge every so often. Due to external factors, people can make mistakes in multiple stages. This is entirely human, although its effects on the company could be detrimental. It could lead to negative publicity for your company or a severe sales decline. The waste produced and the finances wasted will also narrow your profit margins, leading to painful losses.
When a case management system controls all such tasks, the possibility of such errors is eliminated. Machines that do not require rest can work for 24 hours all day throughout the year, never making an error in terms of precision and not faltering in the rate of speed at a specific aspect is completed. Moreover, where the system merely records the completed tasks, any errors that are present will be highlighted, making it clear to the manager where the error occurred. Managers can therefore identify the root causes and consider such key information when taking their next steps.
Assess Your Team’s Productivity
A case management system is a great way to monitor and evaluate your employees. You can check how long each person took a specific task to be completed and whether it was subject to reviews and reworkings. Where employees are in charge of more than one case, a case management system also helps them keep track of their daily targets. It acts as an automated and reliable task manager that they can use to prove their commitment, performance, and more.
Generate Reports Easily
A case management system also automates the generation of reports. In minutes, you can access data-driven hidden insights about what is wrong with a project or your business. Find out your strengths and weaknesses while trying to understand your company’s growth each season. Assess the financial viability of a case before taking it on with more confidence than the traditional mode implemented. This also means that teams no longer have to spend enormous time compiling information for a report and writing it out. Unlike such reports, the reports produced by case management systems are more accurate and are based on the very data your company processes.
All Files Are Encrypted
Some companies are reluctant to invest in a web or cloud-based case management system because it is unsafe. While this is a valid concern, approaching a reputed vendor is the best way to get around this. Take ample time to research possible vendors, making a note to specifically look out for any certifications that could prove they have advanced security protocols that work well in practice as described on paper. A good case management system will encrypt every document uploaded to the system. It will also generally automatically hold a backup in case the physical premises of your business are destroyed, for instance. This way, companies will never have to start from complete scratch if an unfortunate event occurs. As a system that holds all key information, you will remain to have an extremely strong foundation.
Manage Deadlines
With mundane tasks out of the way, a case management system makes meeting your deadlines easier. Even where this seems impossible, the company can formulate a more realistic implementation plan and communicate it to clients without delay. Every time a deadline approaches, a case management system automatically sends a reminder to the respective person in charge. Hence, where one has responsibilities in more than one project, you are guaranteed that nothing will be forgotten.
Build A Reputation As A Trusted Non-Profit Organisation
A central feature that makes an organisation a charity is where they firstly do not receive any form of profit and secondly when they stand for a public benefit. Transparency in a charity organisation is integral when it specifically comes to donors. Donors want to ensure that the resources they donate are used responsibly and entirely used for the cause the organisation stands for. A case management system does this by creating a profile when a donor registers with the organisation, whereby all financial or other forms of donations are recorded. In this profile, the case management system will keep track of how the money donated was used. Ensuring this is shared with the donor towards the completion of the project is a great way to boost a charity organisation’s reputation. Where such transparency is present, not only does it increase the chances of a donor, contributing to a future project again in the future, but it would also result in an increased number of beneficiaries approaching the organisation.
Streamline Your In-House Operations Much Easily
Case management systems help non-profits in a variety of this. A case management system is a valuable tool, from managing administrative tasks to playing a vital role for managers in providing information to make smart decisions. It also allows employees to keep track of their multiple roles and feel seen and rewarded as a permanent record of their completing it is clearly present. Streamline your project, increase team collaboration, remove any miscommunications and ensure projects are completed without waste or extra expenditure as you take a leap ahead of your competition.
