When you’re managing plans on behalf of potentially hundreds of NDIS clients, keeping track of who needs what, how much money they have left, and which providers are delivering the best services can quickly get out of hand.

NDIS clients can choose to self-manage their funding so, to remain competitive, plan managed funding providers need to provide a real point of difference.

However, the planning process can be a source of frustration, with plans taking a long time to get approved, inadequate allocations of funds, and inconsistency of plans between clients who have similar needs.[1]

There are plenty of factors that influence the creation and execution of a plan under the NDIS. Some seem obvious, such as the nature of a person’s disability and, therefore, their potential needs. Others are less so, such as the amount that has been allocated to them by the NDIA, the person’s ability to take advantage of the services they need, or the person’s ability to build their capacity and reach goals.

Often, clients aren’t aware of the supports they should be asking for because, in the past, these services may have been block funded. In some cases, the supports they received previously simply aren’t funded under the NDIS.

These factors can make planning incredibly complex, even when planners have a clear and comprehensive view of them. But getting that view to start with is a key challenge for many NDIS providers who are struggling with disparate sources of information and siloed systems.

Improving visibility for better planning

The most important factor in the success or otherwise of plan management is whether plan managers have all the information they need to not only create a plan but to manage its rollout. This includes making sure clients get access to the services they’re entitled to, pay the appropriate costs of those services without being overcharged, and have their plan budget managed effectively so they don’t run out of funding.

This challenge can be solved with an intelligent information management (IIM) solution from Storata that puts all relevant information onto a single, easy to use platform driven by M-Files. The Storata solution:

• makes information instantly searchable regardless of where it’s located
• manages documents according to metadata that tells users what the document is rather than where it’s saved
• surfaces all relevant documents to provide context for plan managers and ensure no information remains hidden
• provides end-to-end business reporting including budget management information based on real-time activities and up-to-date billings
• includes activity logs that help manage staff productivity to ensure clients get the best results from their plan
• transforms plan management by ensuring all monies are billed and paid on time.

Streamlining and automating workflows for improved client focus

Using an IIM that can automate and streamline workflows including invoicing and reporting means your qualified staff no longer have to spend hours upon hours managing paperwork and invoices each week. Instead, they can spend more time focusing on clients and servicing their needs more effectively.

For example, an organisation supporting 250 clients could be processing hundreds of multipage invoices every week. This could take hours and include a significant amount of frustration depending on how easily the information could be accessed. With the Storata solution, that organisation could reduce the process from two days a week to just two hours a week. And, because the invoicing process is largely automated, it becomes possible to invoice the NDIA once or twice a week instead of once every three to six months.

All of this adds up to more manageable and predictable cash flow, and more time available to spend directly working with clients. Importantly, it means you can manage plans more effectively for better use of resources and better outcomes for clients.

Storata partners with leading software vendor, M-Files, to provide leading edge and affordable solutions to help you transform plan management. To find out more, contact us today.