Are you surfing the CCMS net?

This article was supplied by software provider Care Central Solutions, specialists in CCMS systems. This article questions Child Care operators about their readiness for CCMS and proposes some critical considerations before the inevitable change takes place.

As many of you are aware, the Australian Government is introducing a national child care computer system that will provide improved information on child care supply and usage for families, services and the Government, and will be implemented progressively across all approved child care services from 4 February 2008 to 30 June 2009. The decision to introduce a national system recognises the need for better management of, and information about child care.

The Child Care Management System (CCMS) will bring all approved child care services online to standardise and simplify the administration of Child Care Benefit (CCB). Services will provide information directly to Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) via the Internet to allow calculation and payment of CCB fee reductions on behalf of children in their service. The CCMS is a legislative requirement that requires all Child Care Service operators to comply with the changes...

So industry change is on the horizon,
but how CCMS savvy are you, and
are you going to be ready for it?

Naturally, change is almost always met with apprehension, speculation and fear of the unknown– and this is no different for Child Care Services operators. To add to all the pressure, the CCMS is a significant overhaul to the way things have ‘always been done’ from CCB reporting to acquittals and everything in between.

Paper based operators believe themselves to be those hardest hit because not only will the new CCMS force all Services to have a computer (and know how to use it!), it will also open channels of communication via the internet. No doubt you have heard people around you say the internet is the way of the future, well this is it! So strap yourself in because pretty soon you will find yourself having to jump ahead a few years.

It is important to remember though Child Care Service operators are not alone. In the commotion of operators trying to get their head around the CCMS, software providers have been heavily involved in becoming CCMS compliant as they will be the core element for a successful CCMS.

Whilst some software providers have adapted their existing product to satisfy the CCMS requirements, other software providers that have served the Child Care industry for years have dropped out of the market all together, and a couple are new software providers purposely built for the CCMS.

Technology continues to change and improve rapidly and your child care software needs to keep up. You therefore need to be aware of a few things before you decide to continue using your existing software or if you will choose a new one:

• Is it easy to learn and use?
• What operational capabilities does it have?
• How thorough is the application and does it meet your operational requirements?
• Has the product become even more complex in the adaptation of CCMS processes and integrated web of CCMS and non CCMS operations?
• Is the software compatible with your favourite operating system such as Mac or Windows?
• Does the software provider offer a regular program of periodic improvements or updates?
• Ensure that you are fully informed of the cost including transition, maintenance, support, upgrade and ongoing fees?
• What is the contract structure i.e. will you be locked in to using the software for a specified time?

Most importantly, when making your CCMS software decision research your software provider market well and consider first and foremost whether the software is or will be CCMS compliant.

You should also take the time to assess whether you are comfortable to continue doing things using the software you always have or is this the time to make the change? You could be interested in finding one that is more user-friendly, is more flexible, is heavily supported, is less expensive, or has extended capabilities such as financial management or payroll etc.

Regardless of which software you choose, you will need a standard computer set up and a reasonable internet connection such as dial-up, satellite or broadband. Following is another list of the things you need to consider before you transition to CCMS:

• Have you purchased or upgraded your computer hardware and/or software? Consider the minimum operating system requirements of your CCMS software provider and contact a supplier e.g. Dell, IBM to acquire the goods.
• Does you service have access to the Internet? Contact your local Internet Service Provider (ISP)
• Who are the people you will train to manage the CCMS requirements? Ask for a show of interest amongst your staff.
• Have you obtained parent and child DOB and CRN details for all CCB eligible families? If not, notify parents via your newsletter, compile or issue forms or data sheets for them to complete etc.
• Have you considered the lead time you need to train staff in your CCMS compliant software and transition your centre data to your CCMS compliant software? Talk to your software provider about this timing and to organise a transition date.
• Is your service eligible and will you be applying for additional assistance from FaCSIA (up to $2100 GST Exc)?

For more information and a look into a new and innovative CCMS software solution visit the Care Central Solutions website at:

www.carecentralsolutions.com.au
 

Reduced Cost…

No need for capital purchase budgeting - Just a low monthly or annual payment (per site) that aligns with your service’s operating expense budget AND is inclusive of all maintenance, updates and online training costs. The need to license software through a 'per user', 'per concurrent user', 'per server' license no longer exists. Our fair and easy pricing model makes predicting costs easy!

Minimal Risk…

Many hosted applications require no long term commitment from their customers. New customers can test our software with minimal risk using a Pay-As-You-Go model – No long term contracts. If after using the hosted application you find it unsuitable then you can simply stop using the service.

Internet Access…

Because the application software and the data is stored on the Internet server, the application and data is available to the authorised client once they have logged on from anywhere there is Internet access. You can now work anywhere in the service environment, from remote offices or from your home.

Easy Deployment...

Start using Child Care Central system immediately. Simply subscribe online and you’re away - no delays waiting for installation.

Seamless Integration…

For organisations that have legacy systems from different suppliers running different operating systems the hosted application will provide an integrated solution that allows you to be done with your legacy systems all the while administering the core function of the application, CCMS integration.

Ongoing Maintenance and Support

The software resides on Care Central Solutions servers, reducing the burden on in house IT. There’s no hardware to purchase, set up or configure. The child care service also benefits by not having to maintain multiple version numbers or individual maintenance and licensing agreements. The software is automatically updated so you’re always up-to-date. New updates are installed centrally negating the need for expensive roll outs. For many applications the need for version numbers is eliminated as updates are made incrementally bringing the benefits to the customer without having to bundle new features up into a new periodic version release.