Telstra Health has abandoned the Community Care market with the announcement that they have ceased all further investment, development and support of all of their Community Care products. With less than 18 months notice, 100s of providers are going to be forced to replace Telstra Health’s community care systems, many who have been on the languishing Telstra products for many years.
Here is a rundown of what you should consider when replacing these Telstra Health products and ensure you set your business up for long term success with your new software partner.
When do you need to get started on your migration away from Telstra Health Community Care Software?
Well this all depends on which of the Telstra Health products you have been using, lets break it down:
Replacing Telstra Community Connect
Community Connect is the first Telstra Product to cease support in September 2023, so providers using this solution must act fast. With less than 6 Months left, you will need to be underway with your migration already.
For the early adopters of this product it must be devastating news. They trusted Telstra to deliver on this new product, investing significant sums only to be let down first.
If your organisation uses Community Connect, and you have not started your migration please give us a call to get started today 1300 000 000.
Replacing Telstra ComCare
ComCare is probably the longest running solution in the suite to be abandoned, and providers have until march 2024, just 12 months to make the transition.
A number of organisations using ComCare also operate under funding programs such as PYP, HACC and other legacy block funded programs which very few, if none of the new entrants in the software market support. CareVision is one of the few if not the only platform that has support for HACC, PYP, and other non mainstream funding programs in Australia.
For organisations using Telstra ComCare, you will need to be at least starting your selection process for an alternative provider, with the view to having a decision locked in by late April at the latest.
Replacing Telstra TCM and Telstra HCM or Home Care Manager
For Telstra TCM or Total Care Manager and for Home Care Manager (HCM) customers they have offered similar time frame before the product will be withdrawn from market. Providers using this product also have until March 2024, or just 12 months to move to a new software platform.
Similar to Telstra Com Care the TCM solution supported legacy and non traditional funding streams, something very few, if none of the new entrants to the software market for aged care support. However the good news for TCM clients is that CareVision does support a wide range of these funding programs while also being a market leader offering innovative whole of business software for the care sector.
Because a move from TCM may involve some more complex funding arrangements, and also larger team sizes, it is vital that your team are already well underway with their selection process for an alternative. You want to ensure you have time to complete the necessary due diligence steps and time to achieve a go live and train your teams.
How to approach your move from away from Telstra’s Community Care Software to a new platform for your business
Moving software at any time is a complex process, let alone when you have been given the pressure of a deadline, and there are few software providers that can meet the requirements to replace the Telstra Community Care Software suite.
It is important that you do not rush into a decision and choose the first shiny looking platform you come across, you need to ensure that while fast and effective at getting up and running, that they offer you the depth of configuration, customisation and scalability for your business. Your business has an opportunity to improve your operations significantly, increase compliance, and client experience with your move to a new platform, if you get it right.
Here is a checklist of the things to look for:
- Cloud Software that is scalable and secure
- Choose an Australian software company focused on the needs of the Australian market.
- Choose a solution that gives you control over configurations and had a depth of capability that will support you as your organisation grows.
- Client digital experiences are vital to future proof your business and operations make sure to choose an organisation that puts these experiences at the core of their product, not an afterthought.
- Staff experience is also vital for your growth. If your staff are not engaged then you run the risk of staff turnover and low retention. Make sure your software partner has a focus on the experience and engagement of your staff.
- Cost optimisation of your roster will be key to survival for some organisations in the sector, having real time award interpretation on the roster will reduce overtime and ensure you remain profitable
- Cash flow confidence for NDIS providers is key, make sure your software partner interfaces with service bookings to ensure cash flow confidence
- You want to also checkout the software providers support hours and the options they provide for learning and development of your teams, not just as part of the implementation but in the long run.
Prepare for an effective implementation and successful replacement of Telstra Community Care software.
Once you have selected your new software solution for your business, there will be no time to waste. Even with 12 months to complete the implementation you will need to ensure you are well prepared to tackle the change, migration and training. Below we breakdown the key things to prepare.
Project Team and Governance
No matter how small your team you will need to ensure the project is given adequate resources and governance to ensure it moves forward effectively and efficiently. A good software vendor that has been delivering software to the care sector for many years will have these structures and resources for your team to use to help establish the project. Your project team will be key decision makers for the project delivery, and should meet on a weekly or fortnightly basis to evaluate how the project is progressing against planned milestones, scope, and budget.
Change Management and Communications
For a lot of customers of Telstra Health Community Care software such as TCM, HCM and ComCare they have been using the rather dated system for many years. This change will be a big one for everyone in their team.
Clear and coordinated communications from the project team are essential to ensuring that all stakeholders are brought on the journey are important. Another strategy is setting up a dedicated inbox or chat channel for internal communications about the change, and a place people can go to ask questions and find out the right information.
Most hesitation to change comes from the fear of the unknown, help your team avoid this by keeping them clearly informed and plan ahead of time.
Data Cleansing and Migration
Your data preparation journey should start now, wherever you are on the selection process, you need to commence work on the data clean up now. The data migration process can be one of the more complex aspects of some projects, and most time-consuming for your teams.
You can get ahead on the data migration by preparing a document that outlines the source of truth for each type of data you hold about your clients or staff, and where that source of truth is. As you conduct this process you will likely find data is not always stored in the same location or format, and once you have completed the documented data structure you can commence a process of cleaning this up in your source systems to ensure its easier when the data migration process starts.
Training and Adoption
A training plan should be drawn up by you and your selected vendor, which outlines what modules and learning outcomes are required for each of your team before you proceed with the training. Each team member should have clearly communicated to their learning objectives and the importance of engagement and participation in training.
An experienced software vendor in the sector will have these training plans, and clear and efficient approach to tracking and reporting on the training outcomes of individual training module, an overall across the business. Better yet, they will have a range of learning options for your team, from pre-recorded self paced learning content, written content, a training environment and also virtual in person, or real life in person training options for your teams.
So Whats next?
To get started with your move from Telstra TCM, Telstra HCM or Telstra ComCare to a modern, robust, and sophisticated care platform for the future, give us a call 1300 324 070.