Connecting Front-end Technology with the Back-office for Better Service Delivery
In today’s technology-driven world, people expect to do everything on the go from the convenience of their devices. This demand is no different in health and human services, where leaders are being encouraged to adopt modern technology to innovate service delivery models. The front-end, however, is just the tip of the iceberg. A crucial element of the client-facing modernization is the thoughtful integration with the back-office, which can be complex, but also affords many broader sweeping benefits. This blog will explore how integrating front-end solutions with back-office operations not only creates a better service delivery model, but also offers more efficient and effective operations.
The Functional Silo Challenge
Traditionally, functional siloes exist within programs between back-office operations and front-end service delivery in health and human services. The back-office typically oversees administrative tasks like maintaining eligibility determinations, reporting, document management, supervision, and financials. The front-office collaborates directly with clients and oversees service delivery. Modernizing the front-end of client engagement without consideration of back-office functions can minimize potential (at best) or cause significant workflow disconnects. Without an integrated design of business and system functions, the back-end can get bogged down by manual reporting, inaccurate information, lengthy processes, and other inefficiencies.
A lack of integration between the front-end and back-end, and the absence of quality technology systems, also leads to inefficiencies that contribute to a poor client experience. Take SNAP, for example. A slowdown between an initial benefit application and back-end processing could translate into a delay in benefits delivery or renewal of benefits, and an individual missing access to food they need for their household.
Aside from delays and a less-than-ideal customer experience, organizations and caseworkers report spending crucial time on back-end tasks that increase administrative burden. Further, ineffective and cumbersome systems pose real risks for regulatory compliance.
The Benefits of an Integrated Approach
What if there was a way to connect the front-office and back-office, AND alleviate the burden on the workers and expand access for clients? An integrated approach begins by connecting the clients to the front-office and extending their capabilities to interact with the organization in a different way. At Diona we offer solutions that intentionally connect the front-office and the clients with the back-office business functions. Whether it is a caseworker conducting visits in the field or a client uploading collateral documents, Diona solutions solve these significant administrative and operational challenges. This new way of working allows organizations to transform program operations and delivery and client experience simultaneously. Adopting an integrated approach to service delivery and operations has numerous benefits:
Timeliness: Integrating mobile solutions on the front-end will reduce duplicate inputs and manual data entry. With Diona solutions in place, your client-facing team can document client interactions, update records, and directly communicate with the back-office in real-time.
Data quality: Integrating the back and front-end helps create a single source of truth that reduces inaccurate data and sets up better data flows across your organization. It establishes standardization of data for better data integrity in the future. All of this translates to access to crucial data for everyone involved in the service delivery cycle, helping to eliminate delays and contributing to more informed decision-making and better collaboration.
Improved compliance: With enhanced data quality and improved timeliness, organizations experience higher degrees of regulatory compliance. Further, with the use of Diona commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) solutions, organizations can adapt and respond more quickly to regulatory changes, leading to better reporting and future-proof compliance.
Client experience: One of the biggest benefits of integrating the front-office and back-office is that it establishes a more cohesive client journey. In health and human services, continuity of service has a direct correlation with successful program outcomes. With self-service capabilities, Diona solutions provide real-time access to data helping clients understand their status, know their responsibilities, and engage in a way that is flexible for them. Further, this engagement model puts power and autonomy back into clients’ hands.
Enhancing the Service Delivery Model
For clients: An integrated solution offers clients convenience while on the go. They can skip waiting lines and lengthy visits by accessing critical services from their device. A system built with the client in mind elevates the government experience by providing seamless interactions from the first touchpoint. Clients can trust that the solution is securely processing their data through state-of-the-art technologies that are designed with the highest levels of secure data transmission, for further processing. This digital government approach also offers more equitable access to critical services for individuals who cannot visit a government office.
For casework: An integrated approach helps caseworkers build more impactful connections by giving them back time spent on slow manual processes. With a caseworker solution, data collection is one-and-done. It helps paint a more holistic view of the people you serve by offering real-time access to information about communities and individuals. There is no need to return to the office because everything is immediately synchronized with the back-office systems for supervision and other workflow requirements. By freeing up time spent on administrative tasks, a mobile caseworker solution increases caseworker available time and builds their capacity.
For organizations: Organizations experience immediate improvement in program efficiency by integrating their front- and back-end. By decreasing touchpoints within existing processes, technology saves time, translating to more workforce capacity in an industry that is stretched thin. Time efficiencies can lead to cost savings for organizations. By cleaning up manual processes prone to error, organizations experience increased compliance and program efficacy.
Choosing a Front-end Solution
As you have learned, there is more to it than a pretty interface (although that is important, too!). It is crucial to choose front-end technology solutions that deliver the appropriate capabilities in the field with understanding of the downstream back-office functions. Below, we have compiled a list of Diona solution features that demonstrate our understanding of design requirements for improved end-to-end service delivery:
Secure data at rest and in transit
Platform agnostic
Integration with legacy and modern systems
Rapid deployment resulting in rapid ROI
Citizen empowerment and an intuitive user interface
Real-time information and access from anywhere
Offline functionality with automatic data synchronization
Enhanced user (clients and workers) experience with push notifications, scheduling, task management, and photo/video/file uploads
Enhanced and personalized caseworker experience with text-to-speech and notes playback
Native mobile capabilities such as integrated maps and calendar functions
Integration is Power
Diona has been very intentional in designing our system of engagement solutions to include capabilities when and where they are needed. Integrating the front- and back-office holds tremendous power for service delivery transformation and modernization of the health and human service industry. Integrated front-end mobile technologies should not be an afterthought. Diona solutions improve communication, streamline workflows, and enhance collaboration. With more efficiency in place, organizations experience enhanced program rollout, improved client satisfaction, and better outcomes. Integration is the key to reducing administrative burden and better service delivery. With the right solutions, organizations can enhance the client experience, strengthen relationships, and have a lasting impact on the communities they serve.
Learn more about Diona solutions, all of which bridge between client experience, technology, and operational efficiency, at: Diona Solutions for health and human services program delivery.