What NDIS providers need to survive in the new normal

Of all the industries in Australia, the healthcare sector has perhaps seen the largest transformation in recent times. 

For organisations supporting people with a disability, COVID was just another obstacle to overcome in a series of changes following the introduction of the NDIS. 

In less than 5 years, disability service providers have had to completely re-work their operating models. With choice in the hands of participants, organisations were forced to adapt to more traditional business models with a stronger emphasis on forecasting, planning and marketing – as well as stricter compliance obligations around reporting and auditing. 

4 years on from the roll out however, most NDIS providers have settled into new ways of working and are transitioning to the next stage: proactively seeking opportunities to improve their competitive advantage and increase market share. Technology is widely recognised as a key element in this transition – particularly in a COVID world where flexibility and connectivity are crucial. 

As we step into 2021, here are 5 ways NDIS providers will look to leverage technology to survive and thrive in the new normal.

1. Transparency for frontline workers to enhance CX

Providing a high level of customer care and a unique customer experience is crucial to attracting and retaining clients. 

In the disability sector especially, frontline workers need real time access to comprehensive customer information to do their job well. The risk in not having it is simply too high. For example, a worker providing a service to someone with autism could unknowingly trigger a response leading to a negative outcome.

This is why NDIS providers are turning to innovative platforms like Skedulo, which enable:

• Real time updates to individuals, groups or all workers as needed
• Instant messaging for fast answers to pressing questions
• On demand customer information on workers’ smartphones
• Deeper insights into customer needs and goals

Empowered with all the information they need, frontline workers are then able to give their all to the customer – leading to a better experience and a higher level of customer care. 

2. Fast, flexible scheduling and right-fit matching

Before the NDIS, providers often replicated the same roster week after week. In the new normal, flexibility is vital to meeting the demands of workers and customers – and this is very difficult to do using legacy tools such as spreadsheets.

Skedulo makes it easy to schedule workers for the right job at the right time, whether it’s based on:

• Past customer care
• Customer requests
• Location
• Qualifications or experience
• Skills or cultural background
• The customer’s care journey
• Contract requirements

Skedulo places quality matching front and centre during work allocations. It also makes replacement scheduling fast and simple, so a new worker can quickly pick up where another has left off.

3. Full visibility across multiple care divisions

The NDIS made it easy for customers to move between providers to access different types of care. For those organisations that offer a wide variety of services, delivering a great customer experience across each service area requires total visibility and brand unity.  This is why business leaders are turning to technology that is capable of removing silos and serving up a full 360 degree view of the business. 

With Skedulo, you can:

• Gain total clarity on what workers and customers need
• See how different business areas interact with each other
• Facilitate a hybrid workforce where staff work across several areas
• Understand resource availability vs demand
• Assess the viability of specific services
• Create brand unity and a consistent customer experience
  

4. Billing, payroll and contract efficiency

The expansiveness and inter-connectedness of larger NDIS providers has led them to seek greater efficiencies in managing billing, payroll and worker contracts.

Technology simplifies quoting and billing, and can do the heavy lifting to cross-check that payroll and contractual obligations are being met.  

Knowing our clients seek a single solution that will manage all of this for them, we partnered with other tech leaders so we could offer seamless integration with best of breed solutions. 

Skedulo integrates with billing, payroll and award interpretation platforms to help our clients achieve full transparency and ease of compliance. For example, a client with staff operating under numerous awards can track how many hours people are working and under what conditions. This makes it easy to meet legal requirements for minimum hours, while reducing costly expenses such as overtime. 

Company-wide reporting and analytics

Data is now worth more than gold, and as organisations approach their digital transformation they are also embracing a data transformation too. 

Skedulo empowers business leaders to track, view and analyse data across all areas of the business – delivering valuable insights to inform decision making. 

These insights are crucial to forecasting, budgeting, planning, marketing, resource allocation, and finding cost savings. They are also invaluable for compliance reporting and saving finance and HR teams countless hours in administration.

5. Step into the innovation boom with confidence

Competition within the NDIS sector is only going to get more intense as providers continue to innovate to stand out in an increasingly crowded marketplace. 

At Skedulo, we are proud to be working with many NDIS providers across Australia to empower them with next level efficiencies in scheduling, reporting, integration and analytics. 

Our healthcare team was hand-picked for their industry expertise, and ability to understand what our clients need and how to make Skedulo work for them. 

Clients also get access to their own Customer Success Manager who works directly with them to help meet business goals. They can identify which integrations would most benefit your business, and what customisations could be made to your Skedulo platform to maximise its value while ensuring your brand maintains its unique point of difference. 

By partnering with a best of breed vendor now, you will be equipped with the right tools and competitive edge to step into the next stage of the industry transformation with confidence. 

To find out how Skedulo can help your organisation thrive in the new normal, book a free demo.