Many modern IT systems are highly ‘configurable’, which means that each customer site uses the system in a different way. This flexibility is great, because the site can adapt the system to its own needs (rather than adapting the way things are done to fit the constraints of the system).
However, this does mean that the IT manufacturer cannot provide standard ‘one size fits all’ user guidance.
As consultants who are experienced in technology configuration, we can quickly develop system user guides for your staff, based on the way you have the system set up. It’s very important for users of the system to know exactly how to use it to the best advantage – otherwise the large capital investment you made, when you acquired the system, will not be maximised.
We have particular experience in Northgate HMIS (formerly SX3, First Housing, or iWorld). Managing Director Ruth Trown has produced a comprehensive online user guide for Oxford City Council, complete with tailored screenshots, which enables users to find the instructions they need really rapidly. And we have produced it for them at a fraction of the cost of alternative solutions.
Dave Scholes, Oxford’s Housing Needs Manager, commented:
‘ We want to use the Northgate System more and more to support our day-to-day activities, because it’s a way of becoming more efficient. That means we are constantly tweaking the configuration, and it is hard for staff to keep up, even if they have worked with us since we bought the system. The software company are also changing and adapting the product.
Ruth Trown’s knowledge of modern IT systems, coupled with her long experience of working in housing, enabled her to produce a superb guide really quickly and cost-effectively. We loved the idea that Ruth will make sure that changes are properly reflected.’
