Software for the Next Generation
By Jake Brandes
Case management has changed drastically since the era of paper files and faxes– and is continuously changing today. Technology has since created a profound impact on how efficient and effective staff can be. With new generations entering the workforce, it is crucial to develop and implement the technology they prefer.
The world has introduced and standardized the use of computers and it has revolutionized the way we work; however, it still comes with some limitations. For instance, say a case worker is going to do a home visit. The case worker can only access the information they need by bringing paper notes or trying to remember all relevant information. This can be very tricky and ineffective.
One of the most productive aspects of technology is mobility– and being able to work away from a computer. Almost everyone has a phone or tablet these days but often they are only used for staff to slack off from work by messaging or checking social media. What if this wasn’t the case? What if phones could be used as a tool to greater serve our clients and customers? Phones and tablets should be used within our daily workflows to increase productivity and efficiency–both in and out of the office. Taking your mobile device with you into the field would increase the case management experience in several ways:
Case notes:
A common issue for case managers is remembering notes while away from the office. Say for a home visit a case manager may end up forgetting some relevant information after a long drive back to their office. If that case manager had a way to access their case management software while in the field, they could input those notes right there. This could be done while with the client or when they get back to their vehicle, significantly increasing the effectiveness of their home visits.
Voice dictation:
Writing notes can be a lengthy process and can get quite tedious. Most phones and tablets offer an option for voice dictation (the ability to speak into your phone and it will generate voice-to-text of what you say). This can save case managers a lot of time and is preferred by some staff over typing. A study by Stanford tracked the results of typing versus voice recognition found that voice recognition was three times faster than typing and produced less grammatical errors.
Realtime access to relevant info:
While away from the office sometimes it is important to access information stored in your case management system (CMS). With the ability to access the CMS from your phone you’re able to pull relevant information within seconds.
Notifications:
While a staff member is away from their desk, it is easy to miss important updates relevant to their cases. Notifications can be used to keep staff up to date while away from their desk.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, we have made some major breakthroughs and gotten quite creative with technology. The ongoing innovation in the technology space is expected to greatly simplify case managers’ jobs, making them more efficient and adaptable to their clients’ and community’s needs. If you are looking to develop your leadership skills and your court’s ability to accept and retain the next generation of tech-savvy workers, I’d encourage you to check out the 2024 NACM Conference.
Our software, RiteTrack, is geared to adapt to the changing conditions we continue to see from generation-to-generation. Our newest system release, RiteTrack6, includes all of the features listed above to help your program transition to prepare for the next generation of workers and their technology expectations. Schedule a demonstration today to see how RiteTrack can improve case management and reporting for your department.
