Nowadays, there is more on the aged care provider’s plate than ever. In these tumultuous and increasingly competitive markets, integrating technology into management solutions has become non-optional. In particular, SaaS in aged care has proven to be an invaluable adoption for achieving the most efficient operational outcomes.
However, what exactly is SaaS, and what are its applications? More importantly, how is it beneficial for aged care providers specifically? In this article, we discuss the ways SaaS can help keep aged care organisations relevant, optimal, and compliant.
What is SaaS?
SaaS is an acronym for Software as a Service, a solution that uses the cloud to give you access to a software application providing a service you require. This is in place of obtaining software for your business network in which, after manually downloading and installing it, you must then configure it to fit your needs.
There is endless potential for innovative SaaS applications. They could come in the form of residential management software, unified communications, visitor management systems—the options are both bespoke and wide-ranged. SaaS in aged care is not exempt from efficient applicative endeavours.
Besides SaaS, though, there are other cloud service models like PaaS (Platform as a Service) and IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) which deliver technology conveniently to businesses at different levels of operation.
Briefly, IaaS deals with abstracting data center capabilities. This means that delicate steps involving hardware procurement and cooling setups are taken care of by the service providers.
On the other hand, PaaS abstracts operating systems and databases. This takes the onus off consumers in making sure platform interfaces are updated with the latest patches. Technical design considerations—a thing of the past for consumers of PaaS.
SaaS is all of the above and more. In a SaaS model, consumers have 24/7 access to the software services stored in this magical place known as the cloud. Services are delivered virtually by using a browser or an API. This translates into convenient features like immediate updates with no delay. You can imagine what flexibility such a setup offers businesses. Let’s elaborate.
Advantages of SaaS
The beauty of technology lies in its ability to make things ultra-convenient for its end users. Automation, immediacy, and novelty—these are but a few of the benefits that come with investing in tech services that make operating life exponentially easier.
This is true for SaaS in aged care even more so. Take for instance its:
1. Flexibility
Because SaaS applications operate on the cloud, it is not dependent on specific types of operating systems to function. This enables it with a versatility most beneficial to business settings where constant, fast-paced change is the norm.
Whether you use a Windows or a Mac, or even choose to open the application on an Android or iOS smartphone, your SaaS app will likely be compatible. Nothing like having on-the-go as an option that proves the service’s flexibility.
On that note, you might be able to infer one of the other big traits about SaaS attributing to its flexibility, and that is: no hardware necessary. This means no worries about space constraints, no initial investment in building infrastructure to accommodate on-premises software, and no switch to different networks or servers to fit other types of configurations. That’s a whole bunch of aspects off the busy business person’s plate.
With great flexibility also comes great scalability. SaaS in aged care would allow providers to expand the user count in your service without having to take up more facility space. Instead, all you have to do is tweak a billing plan here, update a contract there, and voila. Convenience, at its finest.
Plus, this means small businesses can readily access this option without breaking the bank with building plans and constant renovations. The barrier to entry for SaaS software is much more financially inclusive than previous options.
2, Invisible efficiency
Another advantage of the fact that SaaS applications run through internet browsers is the automation of updates and patches. This offers speed which equates to less disruption. In the past, on-premise software required many rounds of testing for compatibility and endpoint security before anything else could proceed. Moving forward, routine updates and patches had to be installed on-site; which comes with its own set of logistics (meaning, extra work).
SaaS in aged care offers invisible efficiency in its ability to streamline development cycles and get new features to users the moment developers are ready to roll them out. Delays in that aspect could be detrimental if softwares are left vulnerable to attacks while on-premise service providers finish in-person testing efforts.
Moreover, on-premise data storage has to be backed up and secured in some way, to insure the organisation from hardware crashes that may be severe enough to cause the loss of massive amounts of data.
Most of the time, that involves some potentially costly disaster recovery plan or (ironically) cloud storage itself. With SaaS, the latter security feature is already embedded in the nature of the service.
The double advantage there is employees can access their data remotely by logging into their account. Their work will be right there, updated to the last edit they made on whatever previous device they used, even if they have logged in with a new one. This is an asset prime for new ways of hybrid work that is set to stay for the foreseeable future.
3, Insightfulness
How can SaaS in aged care be insightful, you ask? The answer: through the data it captures through its centralised platform. An added bonus of having one always-accessible cloud through which all pertinent information is stored and processed is that it is particularly conducive to analytics.
Valuable insights into everything from workflows and business operations to customer or visitor experience can be extracted with the right intelligence tools and visualisation tactics. This can then inform future streamlining efforts in the business, making available both time and cost savings.
How else does SaaS apply to aged care?
Clear though it may be, it bears reasserting that aged care’s priority lies with its residents. This means that focusing on core operations will always remain the primary focus of aged care providers. Engaging SaaS in aged care helps achieve exactly that.
Simple wins like reducing administrative burdens means more time to give attention to resident experience. Having a reliable SaaS in your pocket means operating faster and more seamlessly.
With constantly updating policies complexifying the industry, it is important to have a one-stop solution of managing areas of business that can be delegated to tech experts. Aged care’s best friend is automation in this regard.
Most importantly, guaranteeing compliance to government regulations has never been more crucial, as the dawn of COVID-19 has proven. SaaS providers with teams dedicated to aged care will remove the burden of manually keeping up with restriction changes.
In Summary
By adopting SaaS in aged care, the golden age of technology can be the best partner for residents’ own golden years in your aged care facility. All things compliance, automation, privacy protection, and general streamlined efficiency. Aged care can only benefit from updating their systems with the latest and shiniest the tech world has to offer.
Zipline offers bespoke visitor management SaaS solutions for aged care with 100% compliance guarantee. Let’s create a golden plan for your organisation together.
About the author
Other than for work, Marielle loves writing for fun (fantasy fiction is her not-so-secret mistress). She is also an intense Broadway and Disney geek and sometimes sings professionally.
