Last Updated on July 1, 2024

Fiona Hale, Managing Director at CoolCare, explains how care providers must alter their mindset and use digital tools if they are to build stronger care businesses.  

The strength and resilience of something is often determined by the methods, tools and materials used to build it – whether this is physical construction or the growth and development of a business over time. As digital transformation continues taking hold within the care sector, many care businesses are seeing the positive influence of using digital tools on both their performance but also on their ability to navigate changes to the financial landscape. Ultimately, digital transformation is now being seen as the hallmark for growth and success in many care businesses, as opposed to just preventing failure. 

Save time, save money 

The right operational processes can support strong commercial performance and this is even more true when utilising digital tools such as care home administration software. The old adage that time is money still rings true even as times change, so saving time will always equate to saving money for people and businesses. When manual and paper processes are compared to streamlined digital ones, where tasks are completed through automation and in the click of a button or two, the time-saving benefits are clear to see. 

In fact, data shows (Coolcare’s customer analytics October 2022) that where care home administration software is used to manage three of the most common processes – fee adjustments, staff clocking-in and holiday requests – many care providers are saving several days a month in time. With so much more functionality available, this just scratches the surface of the time and money-saving benefits. 

Constant improvement 

Importantly, when looking to change processes and adopt new technology, a constant improvement mindset can make all the difference. A manual process may be working for you and your business, it may even seem relatively simple, but these processes can fall apart when times change and businesses need to rapidly adapt. 

The drivers for digital adoption often fall into two distinct categories: those wanting to fix issues that have arisen with manual processes and those who are proactively looking for better solutions to avoid potential pitfalls and, more importantly, use the technology as a foundation to build a stronger, thriving business – the latter is what falls under constant improvement. 

It will always be easier to proactively implement a change than to work through this as a reactive measure. Working reactively places those responsible for the change under greater time constraints as well as putting them under more pressure, since business disruption is at a maximum in these circumstances. Approaching change as a constant improvement initiative also means that you can design the new digital process to be the ideal solution. This can be a much more positive step change than simply replacing an existing manual process which may have been limited by the manual or paper approach. 

With the recent rise in energy costs and inflation reaching double figures, it’s been a tough time for businesses all round, not just in the care sector. Critically, however, there is evidence that those who have adopted technology and implemented digital transformation within the care sector are weathering the storm with greater success. So, whether proactive or reactive, digital change is paying dividends. 

Greater visibility 

A major benefit of digital software is visibility – at the click of a button, a report can be generated on any given topic, giving a clear, up-to-date snapshot of the situation. Where care businesses have access to live reporting, business decisions can be made the moment an opportunity or possible threat is exposed. This increased agility helps to stabilise business performance and often leads to a stronger performance overall as it encourages a success mindset and proactive management. 

Unsurprisingly, where smaller decisions are made as a ‘course correction’ throughout the month or over any given period, the time needed to implement is greatly reduced and the stress for teams is much less – all positives for maintaining a happy, healthy workforce and improving staff retention. Again, this is another example of how utilising digital tools is key to fostering a successful business across the board, not just as a way of fixing and preventing issues.  

Reducing risk 

Most businesses have an ‘oracle’, the fountain of knowledge that everyone calls upon for answers to everything from the obscure to the mundane. While these types of individuals are a great help, they can also represent a huge risk, as can using any single data source. In the event that a person leaves the business, all of that essential information goes with them, leaving a gap in the knowledge of the team. You’ll also find that things start to take a bit longer as the team navigates finding information from elsewhere in the business. 

Care home administration software can act as this central ‘oracle’, with the added safety of back-ups. As a system that is accessible to all, there is no risk of knowledge being lost or unavailable if an individual is out of the business. Additionally, under the exceptional circumstances we saw during the pandemic, information is also accessible remotely, meaning it’s business as usual, even when it isn’t. 

On the topic of risk, carrying out internal and external risk analysis is essential to protecting your care home business. This often forms part of the constant improvement mindset, making ongoing assessments of business processes and procedures identifiable of any risks before they become a problem, especially internally. 

Externally, many risk factors are outside of your control, from socio-political changes to economic challenges. There is little you can do as a business to prevent these things from happening; however, you can prepare for their potential implications and use risk assessments to gain visibility on the areas of your business that will be most affected. Digital transformation has been shown to give businesses greater resilience as well as improving performance overall, allowing for any changes without putting anything too far off course. 

Internally, reviewing existing processes and finding weak links in the chain allows you to put a repair strategy in place. However, simply replacing one manual process with another could leave you exposed in other areas. Digital transformation is often a more future-proofed way of addressing possible risks, giving you agile processes and automations, which link in seamlessly with other processes. However, while acting as a preventive measure, digital transformation offers so much more in helping a business attain its goals through greater possibilities for growth – and it’s this benefit of adoption that is paving the way for success for more care businesses than ever before. 

Increased efficiency 

Efficient businesses inherently have more scope to react to possible pitfalls – by using care home administration software to tighten processes, it creates room within the team’s workload to address issues as they arise. Time may be money but it is also a precious resource and staff will be grateful for initiatives which help to ease the time pressures they face and reduce the possible stress these may cause. 

While the social care sector is possibly one of the most people-centred sectors, ultimately businesses still need to be successful to continue to provide care. While talking about profit may sometimes feel like a dirty word in relation to care, it’s this that will help to ensure a care provider continues to operate and care for its residents, remains as an employer in the local community and also has the ability to keep investing in its services for its residents. Increased turnover and profit have been shown to be a result of digital transformation and the efficient businesses it can help to create. 

Importantly, this efficiency can be achieved both simply and quickly by implementing digital tools such as care home administration software. The built-in automations have the power to streamline processes from the moment you ‘go live’, not down the line, in a month or so, but right away, meaning a business can see dividends from investing in digitisation almost immediately. That’s not something which can be said about many investments, especially one which is ultimately low risk. 

The appetite of businesses wanting to be better and see a better way of working is growing in the care sector. Driven by a goal of betterment, not repair, many are turning to digital tools to make this a reality with great success. While the change may have been prompted by huge challenges faced by the sector amid the pandemic, the positive mindset it has created in relation to digitisation is a huge positive for all involved – whether delivering or receiving care. 

The key message is that running an efficient business is within reach for care businesses of all sizes and ages. Digital transformation is accessible to established businesses as well as those in their infancy, but the benefits are tangible to all. Working with a success mindset, striving for constant improvement and using the wide range of digital tools available will only strengthen care businesses and ensure we’re here as a sector to continue to support those who need us. 

Fiona Hale, is the Managing Director of CoolCare. Centred on admin made easy, its services are aimed at making operating care homes easier, more efficient and more profitable.