Challenge.
Following on from our Blueprint & System Selection exercise, Penumbra engaged Optimum PPS as their implementation partners to help deliver their new ERP system and business change project successfully.
Penumbra, an Edinburgh based mental health charity, had embarked on a Digital Transformation project to replace their old, non-integrated systems to enhance their staff’s ability to ‘work on the go’ and improve their connectivity. They needed their chosen solution to provide users with the ability to deliver an even better service to supported persons, assisting & guiding them through their journey to recovery.
Solution.
It was a big step change in both technology and ways of working for Penumbra – so robust project management, change management and solution management were paramount. The technology solution being implemented was Access ERP with self-service portals together with new hand-held devices for mobile staff.
Our team worked as an extension to the Penumbra team – both at steering group level in terms of governance and at project team level in terms of implementation and delivery. We liaised with the Access team to ensure the solution being delivered met the organisational requirements and was delivered on time and to budget.
As part of the implementation, we had to focus on upskilling current employees, so they now possess the skills and confidence to work remotely with little need to return to base as paperwork has been digitised.
With a great effort from everyone involved, Penumbra and Optimum were able to deliver the project from start to go-live in 10 months!
Deliverables.
- Real-time, integrated end to end system and processes
- Service user records now accessible in digital form from anywhere
- Support workers now able to add notes real-time to service user record
- Employees are now able to update various personal details through a self-service portal
- Managers can make contract amendments via self-service portal
- Real-time alerts given to managers if staff member does not check in and out of shift as expected
Benefits.
- Better service to supported people with improved systems and processes
- Large amounts of time saved not returning to the office to find paper information
- Information is up to date and reduced risk of vital information being missed
- Reduced time spent by HR team managing information
- Reduced time spent by Finance team on administrative tasks
- Greater visibility of performance
- Increased security for staff members
“I was really happy with the way that Optimum actually came to Penumbra and said ‘we need to get to know you’ and I hadn’t quite expected that but actually I think that was key to the special relationship that we built.
They have absolutely amazed me that we have stuck to the timetable agreed at the beginning which I thought was a really ambitious timetable.”