The many manual steps involved in state provider management – filling out forms, entering data, and scanning and indexing mail – means the process can be lengthy and tedious, taking away time that employees could be spending on more useful tasks. Money spent on the printing and processing of paper applications adds up, too, while providers are forced to print and fax forms instead of simply submitting them electronically.
Time, resources, and customer service are all on the line when it comes to process efficiency, and state and local governments are stepping back to take a look at how they can improve efficiency with available technology. Provider licensing automation streamlines all these repetitive steps to increase productivity and accuracy while saving time and money.
When considering adding some automation into your operations, every decision you make along the way can affect the success of your entire project. If that sounds scary, rest assured that a good solutions provider will give you a lot of valuable insight into making those choices, but for the best chance at the highest ROI, here are some additional guidelines to follow as you take steps towards business process improvement.
1. Rock the discovery process
This is one of the most important parts of the entire project, where you measure your business process efficiency and document of your findings. Project champions, stakeholders, and solution providers should all be brought in on this to figure out how much paper processes are actually costing in time and money, and which ones can gain the most from automation. The discovery process usually takes a few days and is the basis upon which you make future decisions, so make sure your numbers are accurate and don’t make assumptions.
2. Keep your eye on the prize
What are the goals you want to hit? What will give you the highest level of productivity? Which processes use the most paper? Remember to keep these answers in mind, and pick the most beneficial provider management automation projects, not just the easiest. Also don’t be afraid to think outside of the box. Are there creative and innovative ways you can use your solution to become more efficient? Check into those too!
3. Don’t buy into a ton of customized coding
Every organization is different and has its own set of requirements and struggles, but usually an out-of-the-box solution is flexible enough to be configured to those needs. Your IT staff should be able to do most of the system maintenance themselves, and extensive coding will limit your abilities to alter your solution as your processes change.
The difference electronic applications and paperless processes can make in time and money is substantial. Automating State provider management is a big project with big rewards, and between a knowledgeable solutions provider and these helpful tidbits, you’ve got the makings for success! For more information, connect with one of our business process experts below!
