Communication is key: Getting everyone in the loop

Is inefficient communication plaguing your organization? Learn how to get everyone on the same page with SharePoint.

Are you finding that the communication among your staff, across different departments, and with your vendors is often inefficient and even quite redundant? How many times have you answered the same question either by e-mail or with a phone call? Do you find that inaccurate information is being passed on to customers because sales or services people are referring to outdated e-mails or an implementation schedule that has changed? Does each one of your teams have its own file system and database and use many interfaces to organize its information?

Many of today’s companies are faced with these critical business information problems and are in search of the most effective, proven programs in the marketplace that can be used to solve their growing communication issues. After a thorough consideration of available options for addressing business intelligence, one of SoftServe’s clients made the decision to select the Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (recently upgraded to MOSS 2007) in their efforts to establish more efficient and accurate communication with vendors and customers.

Addressing the Need

Nearly six years ago, Misys Healthcare’s (now part of new Allscripts) Homecare business unit, a provider of healthcare information systems serving 600 providers of home healthcare, hospice, and private-duty services, installed SharePoint as a platform for improving communication between Allscripts and SoftServe, and between different departments within Allscripts’ Homecare Product Development. Because Allscripts Health System Group designs, installs, and supports software for the automatic billing, scheduling, and clinical functions of its healthcare clients in the U.S., it is imperative that their clients—agency directors, finance directors, management information officers, and private duty organizations—receive accurate, up-to-date information for their business needs.

“It’s important to share information not only across the world, but also with our vendor SoftServe, as well as with the people across the hall,” says David Staudenmaier, product development manager, Allscripts Health Systems Group. “It’s inefficient to have to repeat information or constantly tell the people you work with where the information is stored,” he adds. “It’s also important for all of the new employees who are working here to know that vital information is always in SharePoint.” SharePoint’s hierarchical structure defines the levels of user access across the company and the rules for how to access information and establishes a project management system.

For example, Allscripts Homecare has two major release charters per year and service packs to update releases or accommodate defects.

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