Planning And Implementation Guide

From FMYiRCWiki

Freemed-YiRC: Planning And Implementation Guide

Contents 1 Summary 2 STEP 1: On-Line Demo 3 STEP 2: Free Phone Consultation 4 STEP 3: Initial Considerations 5 STEP 4: Beta Testing 6 STEP 5: Implementation

Summary

This document is intended for agencies who are considering using Freemed-YiRC. It was created after experiencing several Freemed-YiRC installs at other agencies and watching how those processes went. This document is intended to act as a rough planning guide and to explain possible issues that may arise during implementation as well as bring up other considerations.

STEP 1: On-Line Demo

• The first thing any agency should do is spend some time with the Freemed-YiRC On-Line Demo. This demo provides the ability for an agency to get a very good preview of how Freemed-YiRC works and looks. Best of all, it's free. Nearly all Freemed-YiRC functionality is included in the demo.

STEP 2: Free Phone Consultation

• If, after reviewing the on-line demo and some of the documentation on this site, you would like more information, please feel free to Contact Me. I would be more than happy to set up a (free) conversation over the telephone with a few of your key agency personnel (administration, IT, data input, etc...) to discuss Freemed-YiRC.

STEP 3: Initial Considerations

• Freemed-YiRC is different than most software agencies have probably used. Freemed-YiRC is not a Microsoft Windows product. You cannot just download it and install it on a Microsoft Windows machine and run with it. Freemed-YiRC requires a dedicated server loaded with the free Linux operating system. Typically this server will reside in a room and no one, except for administrators, would actually have to physically touch it.
• All interaction with Freemed-YiRC (except for administration functions like backup and whatnot) is done through a web-browser window. This can be done from any operating system or platform which has a web browser. This includes:
  • Microsoft Windows - All versions (using Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera, etc...)
  • Mac OS
  • Linux
  • Smartphones with a modern web browser (iPhone, Android, Windows Mobile, etc...)
  • Tablets/Netbooks (iPad, Android, etc...)
• Any location which will need to access Freemed-YiRC for data input or reporting or any other function will require a network connection. If your agency does not have any remote locations then you can place the Freemed-YiRC server on your local network and as long as any machine you want to access Freemed-YiRC from is on the local network and has a web-browser, there should be little or no issue.
  • If you do have remote locations, then each location will require Internet access. While Freemed-YiRC does work over dial-up (thanks to limited graphics in the Freemed-YiRC interface), at least a cable or DSL Internet connection is recommended, especially if there are multiple computers at any given location.
  • If remote locations are involved, then the primary location at which the Freemed-YiRC server resides will require a Static IP address. Most low-end Internet connections only include what is called a Dynamic IP address. In addition, most low-end Internet connection agreements specifically forbid hosting servers. Because Freemed-YiRC is intended for agencies who need 24/7/365 access to their data, you will require a Static IP address. Please consult your IT people and/or your Internet Service Provider (ISP) for details on how much this functionality will cost. There is typically an extra cost for business Internet connections for Static IP addresses from your Internet Service Provider.
• While Freemed-YiRC itself, and all the software required to run it, is FREE, there will be a cost to implement it at your agency. This cost will vary wildly from agency to agency.
  • Key components of this cost are:
    • Internet and networking costs. These costs are described above. In addition, this will require your IT people to be heavily involved, which means staff time.
    • Initial set up costs. Above and beyond the above stated IT costs, there will be a fair amount of time required to get Freemed-YiRC tweaked for your particular agency. This cost will involve staff time. Your agency will need to spend a fair amount of time looking at Freemed-YiRC and determining which pieces (Modules) to use.
      • In addition, there will need to be a fair amount of thought put into how to adapt. Not just how to adapt Freemed-YiRC to your existing business practices, but in some cases, especially where computer security is involved, your agency may need to adapt those existing business practices for Freemed-YiRC usage.
    • Staff training costs. Freemed-YiRC has a steep learning curve. It's not something you can just install and start using from day one. Your staff will need to be instructed on how to use it.
    • On-going costs of maintenance and upgrades. Again, the Freemed-YiRC software is free. However, it is an evolving software product. There are constant updates and new modules to expand it's functionality. Those of you in the child care field know and understand that regulations are created and updated all the time. More often than not, these updates require changes to IT pieces. The costs here would primarily involve your IT peoples time as well as additional staff training to cover the new updates and functionality.
    • Server costs. It is recommended that the Freemed-YiRC server be replaced every two years. Computers are fairly cheap and costs are always dropping. Having your server replaced roughly every two years will help avoid down-time related to hardware failure (hard drive, power supply, moving parts, etc...). In addition, as time goes on, your Freemed-YiRC database will grow larger and larger. This will mean that intensive reports may take longer and longer, due to having to crunch more and more data. Replacing servers with faster ones will make using Freemed-YiRC a less frustrating experience, especially for those who generate intensive reports.
      • In addition, replacing a server typically entails installing a newer version of the operating system. This is important in terms of security, as the newer version of the operating system will contain updated software which is quite important in terms of security.
• Implementation and direction for a successful Freemed-YiRC installation should come from the top. What does this mean? All upper-level agency staff should be involved in the Freemed-YiRC implementation. Not just the IT and data-input people. Your CEO, director, CFO, and HR persons should all be involved. All directives should come from the top. If the implementation of Freemed-YiRC is sub-contracted to your IT people, and they have little authority to make it happen, then more likely than not you will have a very stressful and ultimately negative experience. If the directives come from the top of the chain of command, then it will be better understood that this is an important project and not to be taken lightly.

STEP 4: Beta Testing

• If an agency makes the decision to go ahead with an installation of Freemed-YiRC, it is recommended that a Beta Test (also called a Pilot Period) be done at your agency. This would involve actually setting up Freemed-YiRC at your agency.
• The first item required would be a server. If your agency has IT people and they've reviewed the documentation on this site and feel they can install Freemed-YiRC, then by all means do so. If your agency would like consultation, please feel free to Contact Me. If your agency outsources the Internet service (i.e. your Internet connection and/or routers are configured and maintained by someone external to your agency), they will need to be involved at some point to set up the means for your Freemed-YiRC server to be accessible from the Internet.
  • If your agency would like to purchase a server pre-loaded with all necessary software, please Contact Me.
• Once the above items are completed, you have a functional server ready to go, and the IT aspects are taken care of, it's time to conduct a test with your staff.
  • If you are a medium sized or large agency you should choose one smaller section of your agency to start with. For instance, if your agency does business in several geographic regions or you provide multiple services, then choose one region or service to begin with.
  • If you have an existing information system (i.e., another system you wish to migrate from or an in-house Access-based system) then steps should be taken to export your key information to Freemed-YiRC so that your Beta Test is as realistic as possible.
    • Having this information exported from a current system will save time and effort. It will also severely reduce human error during data input.
    • Key information would include
      • Location Info - Addresses, etc...
      • Resident Info - Demographics, locations, history, etc...
      • Staff Info - Demographics, locations, history, etc...
    • Please Contact Me if you would like more information or help relating to data export to Freemed-YiRC.
• At this point, you should have the necessary elements completed to begin a fairly realistic Beta Test. Have your staff begin data entry into the system in a Double Entry setup. This would involve your staff doing their normal business processes while at the same time entering the same information into Freemed-YiRC. Yes, this will add to their workload. This is part of the initial cost described above of beginning a Freemed-YiRC installation.
• During this test, please inform ALL staff to report any and all issues they experience. It may be helpful, if you have quite a few staff doing this, to set up weekly meetings with your staff to go over their experiences in a group setting. All issues should be considered and, if necessary, action plans created before continuing to the next step.

STEP 5: Implementation

• If your agency makes the final decision to go ahead with an agency-wide implementation of Freemed-YiRC after going through the above steps, then please consider the following.
• During your beta test it is likely that test data was entered. This is data that may have been made up in order to test functionality. This is fine. However, when it comes time to do the final implementation of Freemed-YiRC, you may wish to start fresh. This would involve wiping the system clean, just as if you first installed it.
  • If you have existing data from external systems, you may wish to re-export that data to ensure Freeemed-YiRC has updated data.
• IMPLEMENT FREEMED-YIRC IN PHASES - DO NOT JUST JUMP IN
  • Unless your agency has a magical abundance of free staff time, implementation of Freemed-YiRC will likely involve some initial stress. Most agency data input people are stressed enough as it is. Just dumping this new implementation on them will not enhance your experience at all. Take the time to implement Freemed-YiRC in phases. Start with a limited number of modules:
    • Contact Database
    • Incident Reports
    • Service Plan Goals
  • Then, as time goes on, implement the larger modules
    • Service Plans
    • Medical Billing
    • Census Billing
  • Begin to implement new modules over the course of months. Include training as an integral part of this implementation.

THE KEY TO A SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF FREEMED-YIRC IS PLANNING AND PHASING IT IN OVER TIME!!!