NDIS Countdown: Have You Forgotten Something?

In all the buzz about new technology and the start of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, Not for Profits need to go beyond attempting baseline survival and remember that their staff are their most important investment, writes marketing specialist Fran Connelley.

Over the last 24 months, disability organisations around Australia have been investing in expensive new technology to improve efficiencies and drive down their administration costs in the hope of breaking-even under the NDIA pricing.

This technology includes new CRM systems, new CMS systems, incident management systems, new billing and finance systems, HR and rostering systems, as well as mobile integration for frontline staff… and the list goes on.

Everywhere you look, technology is key.

However, this is just the baseline survival stuff. I can’t say which soft or hard systems will enable you to thrive under the NDIS. Every organisation faces different financial and personnel constraints.

But I can provide you with some of the questions that your systems need to address. These questions are about the “value add” that will distinguish your organisation from your competitors.

The questions themselves will probably be much harder to answer than which rostering or billing system to invest in, because they’re about outcomes not outputs.

For example:

• How do you achieve an extraordinary and memorable customer experience with every contact?
• How do you effectively support your middle management to become more customer focused in everything they do and say?
• How do you support an autonomous, mobile enabled, casualised frontline team to provide quality service and still achieve their revenue targets?
• How do you ensure your board understands the degree of change required and has the skills and commitment to support you in that?

Going beyond baseline survival requires a systematised “living the brand values” ethos placed around every system you have in place. As a result, your staff are your most important investment, not your technology.

Technology is not a solution in itself. In fact, it’s a lousy Band-Aid. It only works as the promised “game-changer” when you’ve got the right mix of dedicated, skilled and experienced people at every level of your organisation. People who share a passion for your cause and feel that their personal values align with the values that drive your organisation.

With all the conversations, webinars and information sessions going on right now about the NDIS, we can’t afford to forget the human element, the personal connection and the skills, experience and personal values that determine the quality of that connection.

About the author: Fran Connelley is a Not for Profit marketing specialist and Director of FC Marketing. Over the last 20 years, she has worked with many well-known organisations to help them build their brands and diversify their income. Connelley is the author of the eGuide, Managing your Non-Profit’s Annual Report.This article includes excerpts from her new book, How to Thrive under the NDIS: A Pathway to Sustainability for Service Providers.