Either you’ve used your legacy platform for way too long, or you’ve never “made the plunge” to implement a new software platform for your home health agency operation. Now you’ve gone through months of evaluation of the marketplace for HHA software and finally, you’ve made the decision to choose AgencyCore as your HHA software platform. It is our intention to make sure you never look back on that decision.
Rest assured. You have chosen the absolute top platform available in the industry. Period.
This writing is to assist you as you consider launching the implementation project. It’s no secret that there’s a lot of time and money at stake in this undertaking and you’ll want to do everything possible to ensure a smooth transition from either your paper processes or your legacy system to your new AgencyCore system.
How will you manage change, insure optimized workflows, resolve conflicts, and make sure your implementation runs smoothly and on schedule?
As your chosen platform provider, Axxess suggests 4 recommended steps or “Best Practices”, in a process that will help ensure a successful and seamless operating platform implementation.
Best Practice #1: Enhance Workflows as you implement–it’s a mindset (or reset!)
You’ve chosen AgencyCore and Axxess Healthcare Consult for achievement of a highly effective operational standard for your agency. As an Axxess subscriber, we urge you to commit to becoming a Highly Effective Home Health Agency and in doing so, dedicate yourself and your team to cost effective operations as you implement the most cost effective, robust and user friendly software platform in the industry, AgencyCore.
Home Health Agencies who want to really see dramatic operational improvement must endeavor to optimize the day-to-day processes as keys to effective, productive workflow. This is probably a bigger step in your agency’s software platform adaptation than simple training. That’s not to say training on the platform isn’t important, it is. There is much more to it than training.
Now that you have made the decision to go with our AgencyCore platform, you must optimize your workflows it to take full advantage of the platform’s myriad features and functionalities.
Using tips and advice from Axxess’ consulting experience with thousands of home health agencies, here is a short compilation of what we believe are the key elements of the awareness needed to optimize this software platform investment
Here are a few mindset/reset principles:
- One of the most challenging aspects is ideology and mindset. Does ownership and management grasp the way this platform will enhance and streamline their workflow processes? Make sure that this is the case.
- Take an honest and open minded view at the agency’s processes…now is a great time to change them and make them work even better!
- Don’t retain the processes you used when operating “on paper”. Embrace the change!
- Engage your team early in the deployment process
- Share with the team all of the wonderful ways that you as owner/management envision the system helping them
- Openly acknowledge that it will be change, and it will take everyone’s extra effort, but as an organization you’re committed to making it successful
- To do so, you need their help and enthusiastic acceptance
- Encourage your team to embrace and evolve with the changes
- Begin with the end in mind. The outcome will certainly help your staff do their individual jobs, will effectively improve the operational efficiencies of the agency and most importantly, it will enable you to more effectively serve your patients.
- Be prepared for the few technology-adverse employees. Expect this. Patience and forbearance is needed. Gently bring them along. Going from paper to electronic is a big change.
Best Practice #2: Proper Planning
Make sure that your implementation plan includes specific deliverables for each milestone, a clear definition of the scope of each step, and contingency plans that you can put into action should the schedule begin to slip. Remember, your training and implementation plan must extend beyond the go-live date. As the organization continues to change, the process must evolve with it. Some areas of your implementation plan that need to be carefully thought out (but are not limited to) are:
- Data conversion: Conversion of data from the old software system to the new should begin early in the implementation process. Testing should be performed to ensure accurate data is transferred into the new system’s database. If inaccurate data is converted, the erroneous data may have a negative domino effect throughout the organization. Let Axxess help with this. We normally advise our new clients to simply convert to AgencyCore by recertifying their patients into the new system, completing the episodes that are underway when conversion happens in the previous system so billing and cash flow are consistent throughout the conversion.
- Disruption of business: Even the most successful implementations can disrupt a company’s business and lead to a reduction in productivity that can temporarily affect the bottom line. Detailed project plans can also contribute to shorter implementation timeframes. Explore running parallel for a few weeks. Your data conversion plan should preclude any business disruptions.
- Training: Every system user must be fully educated so they understand how the new system will be integrated into the overall company operation. All users must be trained to take full advantage of the system’s capabilities. Failure to properly educate and train all relevant personnel will guarantee implementation problems.
Best Practice #3: Continuous Monitoring & Updates to the Stakeholders
Monitoring should be integrated into all stages of the implementation project. As the implementation progresses, a careful audit of each milestone will help you ensure that Axxess is providing all of the assistance with training and implementation as specified in the subscription agreement, and the internal implementation team is performing as it should.
Your stakeholders have been part of the project since it first got off the ground (all those months ago), so don’t keep them in the dark as you progress through the implementation stage. Ensure that your project Champions, Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), and Axxess Training Representatives work closely together throughout the implementation so that everyone is on the same page. Communication is critical for the implementation’s success. Audit each implementation milestone and provide detailed briefings and progress reports to your stakeholders on a regular basis. Make sure you “huddle up” with your team to make sure everyone gets it and progresses in their understanding. Since AgencyCore is so user friendly, we do not anticipate that the implementation will leave many folks behind.
Best Practice #4: Utilize the Axxess Consulting Team
Axxess consultants are ready to serve and assist. Ask us for our recommendations and suggestions. The Axxess team has assisted hundreds of agencies in training staff and in implementation of their solution. We have found that no two HHA organizations are the same.
We encourage you to ask questions – “What are the things Axxess has seen work?” , ”What things have they seen that didn’t work out so well?” A discussion such as this can help you utilize the inherent experience of Axxess consultants in implementing the platform.
Rushing or short-changing the implementation process can take your beautiful new web based system that you worked so hard to select and leave you with less than optimal results. A solidly configured system that is used well by your users will increase your ROI and likely, the overall joy of work and happiness of your organization.
This brings up an Axxess “cultural advantage”: Not only is our home healthcare software the best in the industry, but also our “learning organization” based cultural philosophy is one of continuous improvement and a focus on excellence. (This “Ecosystem of Excellence” combined with workflow process improvement guidance, billing & coding services, business intelligence, marketing ideas and tips, and a physician portal that helps physicians track care plan oversight, virtually assure our team that you will become such an advocate for our organization that you might even become an evangelist for Axxess!)
Finally, be sure to celebrate the victory of a successful implementation. Take the time to reflect and call out the champions of the project. Recognize some lessons learned, but more importantly see a more efficient and better ability to focus on patient care, and not on paperwork.
If you have some best practices suggestions, please post them on the Axxess Facebook Community or on your Twitter account!
We’d love to hear about your challenges and your victories.