The five biggest myths about switching your care software

If you're considering updating your care management system, you've likely encountered some concerns about the migration process. At Birdie, we've helped hundreds of care agencies successfully transition from paper-based systems and outdated first-generation software to our smart technology platform. Along the way, we've heard many worries that often hold agencies back from making beneficial changes.

In this article, we'll tackle the five most common myths about care software migration head-on, sharing real experiences from partners who've been through the process.

Myth 1: "Migration means downtime and disrupted care delivery"

The myth: Switching systems will create a period where you can't effectively deliver or document care, potentially impacting client wellbeing and compliance.

The reality: With a properly planned implementation, there's no need for any disruption to care delivery. We typically recommend a five-week implementation plan where different elements are transitioned sequentially:

• Week 1: Team communication and initial setup
• Weeks 2-3: Staff training and care planning setup
• Week 4: Finance setup and carer training
• Week 5: Go live with visit scheduling and logging visits

This staged approach means care continues uninterrupted while the transition takes place in the background. You're never left without the tools you need to deliver and document care safely.

"Our branch is growing quickly and the care hours are going up rapidly. Birdie has been brilliant for that growth, and we've found it really, really easy to grow quickly with it." - Tiffany Meachim, Managing Director of Walfinch Mansfield. [Read her full story here]

Myth 2: "We'll lose critical historical client data"

The myth: Years of valuable care notes, medication records, and client information will either be lost entirely or become inaccessible after migration.

The reality: Your historical data can be preserved and made more accessible than ever before.

Birdie's migration process is designed to protect your valuable historical data. We provide several options:

1. Basic client and carer information (names, addresses, contact details) can be transferred via simple CSV import
2. Care plans and assessments can be uploaded as PDF documents, making them easily accessible within client profiles
3. Recent care notes and medication records can be prioritised for transfer if needed

This approach ensures you maintain all the information you need for continuity of care and compliance, while also taking the opportunity to refresh and update care plans as appropriate.

For ongoing compliance purposes, you can also keep an archive of your previous system's data according to your data retention policies.

"One of our senior carers visited a client yesterday - and within 45 minutes this morning the profile, care plans and assessments had all been created in Birdie! It's just given us so much time back." - Shelley Harlin, Registered Manager at Numada Homecare. [Read her full story here]

Myth 3: "Our care team is too tech-averse to adapt to a new system"

The myth: Care professionals, particularly those who are less tech-savvy, will resist the change, be unable to learn the new system, or even leave rather than adapt.

The reality: With the right introduction and training, care teams of all ages and technical abilities quickly adapt to and often prefer the Birdie app.

We've specifically designed the Birdie carer app to be intuitive and user-friendly, even for those with limited technical experience. Our approach to training care teams includes:

• Multiple learning formats to accommodate different learning styles, including Birdie Academy, our on-demand online learning programme
• Super-user identification to create internal champions
• Ongoing support after launch to address any challenges

The results speak for themselves:

"Our demographic of carers tend to not be so 'au fait' with technology, and they were quite scared of the change - so we projected we'd lose some because of transitioning. And we didn't lose anyone. That says it all really!" - Tim Middleton, Head of Operations, Christie's Care [Read his full story here]

Myth 4: "Migration requires months of parallel running and double-entry"

The myth: Agencies need to maintain both old and new systems simultaneously for an extended period, creating duplicate work and increasing the risk of errors.

The reality: With proper planning, parallel running is minimal and focused on specific areas rather than the entire system.

Birdie's phased implementation approach means you're only transitioning one component at a time. This significantly reduces the need for extended parallel running. In most cases:

• Client and carer profiles can be set up before you begin using the system for live care
• Care plans and schedules can be prepared in advance and activated on a specific go-live date
• Finance functions can be transitioned at a natural break point, such as the end of a billing cycle

This approach minimises any duplication of effort while ensuring a smooth transition. A typical Birdie implementation takes around 5 weeks from start to finish, with minimal parallel running required.

Myth 5: "We're too small/busy/resource-constrained to manage a migration"

The myth: Care agencies lack the internal expertise, time, or resources needed to successfully manage a technology transition alongside daily operations.

The reality: Birdie provides structured support that actually reduces the internal resource needed for successful implementation.

We understand that care agencies of all sizes are busy with their core mission of delivering quality care. That's why we've designed our implementation process to be as resource-efficient as possible:

• Dedicated onboarding manager to guide you through each step
• Pre-built templates for everything from project plans to team communications
• Self-service tools that allow you to complete tasks at your own pace
• Progress tracking to keep implementation moving forward

Our process is scalable for agencies of all sizes – from small providers with a few clients to large organisations with multiple branches. We tailor the approach to your specific needs and capacity.

"Birdie is a fantastic value for money. The amount of admin time saved and the quality of evidence you can provide more than pays for itself. Me and my team can now concentrate on doing what we love, and that is caring for our service users; we love using it!" - Wilfred Takaindisa, Director, Flamelily Independent Living

Moving beyond myths

The truth is that switching to a new smart care management system like Birdie is a journey, but it's one where you're guided every step of the way. The temporary process of change delivers lasting benefits:

• Time savings: Partners report an average 56% time savings in overall operations
• Growth potential: After one year with Birdie, agencies see a median growth of 20% more hours of care
• Financial improvement: 77% of agencies using Birdie Finance see positive increases in profit margins
• Quality enhancement: 92% of partners report overall care quality improvements

By addressing these common myths, we hope you can approach the potential of migration with confidence rather than concern. At Birdie, we're committed to making the transition as smooth as possible, so you can focus on what matters most: delivering exceptional care.

Ready to explore how Birdie could transform your care agency? Get in touch today to discuss your specific needs and discover how we can support your journey to smarter care management.

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