Support at Home and Smart Tech
2 minute read
Support at Home demands efficiency. The right tech can deliver it but too often, it turns into a costly headache that under-delivers. At the recent Invox conference, experts cut through the hype and shared how smart systems saved serious money. As Cliff Abbasi from Infinyx put it: “It didn’t happen overnight, but with persistence… tech can help [your organisation] move mountains.”
We’ve summarised their advice to give you five practical ways that tech can work for you.
Listen to the frontline.
Executives don’t live the repetitive grind, the frontline does. They’re the ones drowning in paper forms, re-entering data for the fifteenth time, and making the same reminder calls day after day. Ask them what drives them nuts, and you’ll quickly uncover the tasks that scream out for automation. Ignore them, and you’ll just end up buying shiny software nobody uses.
Start small, then scale.
Don’t try to digitally transform your whole organisation in one weekend, Cliff said “evolution not revolution”. Instead, pick off the low-hanging fruit. Replace reminder calls with automated SMS, or streamline one repetitive form. Quick wins free up staff time, prove the value, and build momentum. At LINK, Cliff did exactly this and by steadily automating processes, he saved $1 million in a single year. Not bad for a bunch of “little fixes.”
Make rosters work harder.
Rosters are the silent killer of efficiency. Done badly, they cause payroll blowouts and compliance risks. The right system can automatically apply award rules, helping you avoid unpleasant surprises at pay run. Though human oversight remains essential, even the best systems can make mistakes. Jane McDonald from Pontem showed us how optimised rosters aren’t just tidy admin. She helped one provider with a $30m annual turnover save half a million bucks a year just by getting smarter about scheduling!
Use what you’ve already have.
If you’re already using Microsoft 365, you’ve got more power than you think. Tools like Microsoft Forms can simplify client intake, Power Automate can cut repetitive admin, and Power BI can turn spreadsheets into smart, visual dashboards. With a bit of upskilling through online tutorials, AI assistants, and shared templates, you can get results fast. You can take this even further by working together with others in the sector. A collaborative approach to dashboard design, data literacy, and process automation could deliver huge efficiency gains.
Stay problem focused.
If the tech isn’t fixing a problem, it is the problem. Don’t buy shiny software that’s just a solution looking for a problem, start with automating the everyday challenges your organisation faces.
The GYST
SaH is the biggest funding change in decades, efficiency is now survival. Tech can make the difference when it’s applied to real problems. Start with quick wins, build momentum and always (always) listen to the frontline.
Continue Reading
