Durham County Council’s Care Connect service supports vulnerable individuals to remain independent in their homes through assistive technology. Operating a 24/7 call centre, the team provides essential support and equipment in partnership with social care.
Excelpoint’s no-code case management system transforms Durham County Council’s Care delivery for 11,000+ users.
Durham County Council’s (DCC) Care Connect is a service aimed at helping individuals, particularly those who are elderly or vulnerable, to access social care and support services. It provides the tools and remote services to keep a person living independently, in their own home, as long as possible. Care Connect assists people in navigating the complex landscape of care options available, including home care, residential care, and other community-based services.
Care Connect faced critical challenges, including data quality concerns with its outdated and unsupported database. With time constraints looming, the team urgently sought a viable replacement to safeguard operations.
The outdated system recorded customer data, including addresses, installed equipment, installation dates, and service charges. An annually generated data file facilitated invoice generation via the DCC Oracle system. For new customers or additional equipment added in the year of the invoice, a manual workaround process was required to generate the invoice for that customer. Yearly invoicing took up to four weeks and relied on a complex, manually processed Excel spreadsheet.
Care Connect also faced challenges with its outdated Microsoft Access database system, as it was no longer adequately supported by the DCC IT department. The system suffered from excessive fields that were no longer relevant, sluggish performance and lacked flexibility for incorporating new fields or functionalities.
With other areas of Care Connect requiring the digitalisation of core business processes, the team identified an urgent need to engage with a software provider to undertake a project to automate its critical business processes.
Excelpoint has experience working with DCC Business Durham and is a pre-approved supplier on the government’s G-Cloud 13 tendering framework, enabling Care Connect to draw on experience and significantly reduce the procurement process timeframe.
The primary goals of the new no-code case management system were to guarantee:
Despite only starting the project in October 2023, the no-code case management system went live in January 2024. It immediately managed the customer accounts and service provision of over 11,000 vulnerable customers.
When adding a new customer to the no-code case management system, users can link the customer to Oracle for streamlined invoicing. It creates a manual Oracle customer record for customers receiving free-of-charge services and stores a unique Care Connect ID for reference.
When linking a customer to Oracle, a pre-configured Microsoft Flow, developed by DCC IT, is triggered. This automated process queries Oracle for the customer record and retrieves address details, which are then populated into the Excelpoint Customer record, eliminating manual data entry errors and saving valuable time for the team.
Improved Efficiency:
By replacing the outdated Microsoft Access system with Excelpoint, Care Connect experienced significant improvements in operational efficiency. The streamlined process of adding customers and linking them to Oracle reduced manual intervention, minimised errors, and accelerated invoicing cycles from weeks to days.
Enhanced Flexibility:
Care Connect can now seamlessly adapt to changing business needs. The capability to incorporate new fields and functionalities will enable the team to refine its service offerings and accommodate future growth without being restrained by legacy systems.
Automation of Processes and Workflows:
Care Connect is now on its journey towards digitalisation and has replaced processes previously managed using manual methods or spreadsheets. Excelpoint will enable it to continue the journey, creating an automated environment across its operations.
Cost Savings:
By eliminating the need for manual invoice generation outside the system and reducing reliance on outdated software, Care Connect realised significant cost savings and operational efficiencies.
Key Performance Indicators:
Within the Excelpoint built no-code case management system, the team has defined dashboards for real-time KPI tracking and monitoring.
Conclusion
By implementing the Excelpoint built no-code case management system, Care Connect transformed its operations by addressing longstanding challenges associated with its legacy systems and manual processes.
By embracing Excelpoint’s no-code case management system built on it’s no-code technology, Care Connect has positioned itself for continued growth, improved service delivery, and enhanced customer satisfaction through streamlined customer management and automated invoicing processes. It has laid the foundation for ongoing digital innovation and operational excellence across its entire operations.
“Overseeing the adoption of Excelpoint’s no-code case management system within our Care Connect service has been a game-changer. This innovative solution has revolutionised our approach to customer management and service provision, replacing outdated systems with streamlined automation. From significantly reduced processing times to seamless integration with Oracle for invoicing, Excelpoint has brought tangible improvements to our operations, enhancing our ability to deliver excellent care and support to our customers.”
Excelpoint’s customisable interface has empowered us to adapt to changing needs effortlessly, while its role in our digital transformation journey has boosted data accuracy and accessibility. With Excelpoint in place, we are not just improving our current processes – we are laying the groundwork for future growth and innovation, ensuring that Care Connect remains at the forefront of service delivery in the years to come.” – Joanne Carr, Business Support Team Leader at Care Connect, Durham County Council
