Reporting Automation via Low Code Solution

Reporting Automation via Low Code Solution

One of the largest disaster-recovery state agencies encountered significant hurdles in incorporating financial data into their business unit management reports. Their manual processes were inefficient, error-prone, and impeded effective data management. To address these issues, Karma Advisory was brought in to create and deploy an automated solution leveraging Caspio’s low-code platform.

The Challenge

The agency encountered several obstacles in their data management process:

  • Manual Data Handling: Considerable time was spent manually transforming data to generate reports matching funding for projects with the associated costs.
  • Data Inconsistency: The manual process led to potential errors and inconsistencies in data transformation.
  • Inefficient Resource Utilization: Valuable staff time was consumed by repetitive data handling tasks.
  • Limited Integration: Existing systems lacked system integration, complicating the data transformation process.

The Solution

Karma Advisory proposed a comprehensive implementation plan to automate the data transformation process. The solution leveraged the Caspio platform to create a robust, automated system. Key features of the solution included:

  • Automated Data Imports/Exports: Utilizing Caspio’s automation tools to streamline data flow.
  • User Input Mechanism: Development of a system for handling missing values and user inputs.
  • Dashboard Integration: Seamless integration of data into a user-friendly dashboard.

Results and Benefits

The implementation of this automated data transformation solution yielded significant improvements:

  • Enhanced Efficiency: Automation drastically reduced the time required for data transformation and report generation.
  • Improved Data Accuracy: The automated process minimized human errors, ensuring more reliable data outputs.
  • Enhanced Integration: The solution provided a unified platform for data management, improving overall workflow.

Conclusion

This case study demonstrates how Karma Advisory successfully transformed a manual, time-consuming process into an efficient, automated system. By leveraging the Caspio platform and implementing a well-structured automation plan, the organization achieved significant improvements in data management efficiency and accuracy. This solution not only streamlined operations but also empowered users with better tools for data handling and decision-making.

Reporting and Analytics via Power Automate: A Case Study of Automation in State Healthcare

Reporting and Analytics via Power Automate: A Case Study of Automation in State Healthcare

A department of health in one of the largest states faced challenges in managing a healthcare program, which provides crucial funding to rural hospitals and clinics. Karma Advisory with our Prime Partner was tasked with administering this program, recognized the need for a more efficient and user-friendly system to handle provider applications, quarterly reports, and ongoing funding disbursements.  

The Challenge 

The existing process for managing the program was cumbersome and prone to inefficiencies: 

  • Manual Data Entry: Staff spent considerable time inputting data from provider submissions into various systems. 
  • Inconsistent Reporting: The lack of a standardized database led to discrepancies in data analysis and reporting. 
  • Limited Accessibility: Information was scattered across different platforms, making it difficult for stakeholders to access and analyze program data. 
  • Inefficient Validation: The process of validating quarterly reports was time-consuming and error-prone. 

The Solution 

Karma Advisory proposed the development of a user-friendly, Excel-based database to centralize and streamline the management of provider submissions. The solution was designed to operate within the client’s Microsoft 365 environment, utilizing Excel, SharePoint, and Power Automate. This ensured the lowest cost, highest value solution by utilizing existing tools on the client’s platform. 

Key features of the solution included: 

  • Automated Validation: An automated system to validate incoming quarterly reports. 
  • Centralized Data Storage: A master report folder to house all validated submissions. 
  • Integrated Data Flow: Utilization of SharePoint and Power Automate to seamlessly add validated reports to the Quarterly Report database. 
  • Service Account Integration: Implementation of service accounts to ensure secure and automated file management. 

Results and Benefits 

The implementation of this Excel-based database solution yielded significant improvements: 

  • Enhanced Efficiency: Automation of validation and data entry processes reduced manual workload and minimized errors. 
  • Improved Data Consistency: Centralization of data in a standardized format ensured more accurate analysis and reporting. 
  • Increased Accessibility: Stakeholders gained easier access to program data, facilitating more informed decision-making. 
  • Streamlined Reporting: The consolidated database simplified the generation of program reports for the NYS DOH. 
  • Compliance Assurance: By keeping all data within the client’s environment, the solution met stringent data security and privacy requirements. 

Conclusion 

By leveraging existing Microsoft 365 tools and implementing a streamlined data management process, Karma Advisory successfully transformed the administration of this program. This case study demonstrates how targeted technological solutions can significantly enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare funding programs, ultimately benefiting rural healthcare providers and the communities they serve. 

 

Information Technology Strategy and Execution Services

Information Technology Strategy and Execution Services

About the Engagement

After New York’s five super storms in 2012, the state created a temporary agency to distribute 4.4 billion dollars in federal funds to homeowners, small businesses, and municipalities. From the start, technology served as the foundation for this nascent disaster recovery organization. With continually shifting policies, strategies, and goals, the Information Technology (IT) team was forced to create a complex set of applications for processing, analyzing, reporting, and storing critical data and documents for dozens of programs.

Business Problem

The clients’ technology solutions and processes were developed quickly, and in silos because they needed to immediately begin releasing funds/benefits. Therefore, the client sought a partner who could re-engineer the complex architecture of dozens of disparate systems that needed to be maintained or rearchitected.

Challenges

A consistent challenge across the agency was a lack of centralized strategies, techniques, and frameworks which presented unique complexities. Examples of these include varying customer service and support strategies for both staff and applications, varying frameworks and processes (or the lack thereof) resulting in missing quality assurance and quality control procedures for critical applications and departments, and inconsistent monitoring and maintenance of software through the software development lifecycle.

Project Impacts and Outcomes

The engagement team provided technology strategy and execution services support to the client’s Chief Information Officer, which included the following:

  • Current-state and future-state IT organizational assessment to determine and implement technology change management initiatives to improve technology delivery.
  • Future-state business architecture to help determine future-state IT organizational capabilities, roles and responsibilities and staffing plans.
  • Portfolio and project management support, including software architecture and design, business requirements development, testing and release management support.
  • Comprehensive training modules to create structure and internal capabilities in technology delivery for project managers, business analysts, and developers.

Through the engagement team’s strategy and execution support, the client’s IT team has significantly improved its service delivery capabilities, including on-time delivery of projects and improved customer service. This work has helped train and empower the client’s IT team to be more customer-centric and improve delivery of services.

Information Technology Portfolio Management

Information Technology Portfolio Management

About the Engagement

In June 2013, following the occurrences of Hurricanes Irene and Lee, and Superstorm Sandy, a state-level disaster recovery organization was created to focus on recovery and rebuilding efforts for effective areas of New York State. The agency’s aid focused on four areas: housing recovery, small business, community reconstruction and infrastructure. They were tasked with distributing billions in federal funds to homeowners, small businesses, and municipalities.

Business Problem

The clients’ technology solutions and processes were developed quickly, and in silos because they needed to immediately begin releasing funds/benefits. Therefore, the client sought a partner who could re-engineer the complex architecture of dozens of disparate systems that needed to be maintained or rearchitected.

Challenges

The common challenge across the agency was a lack of centralized strategies, techniques, and frameworks which presented unique complexities. Examples of these include varying customer service and support strategies for both staff and applications, varying frameworks and processes (or the lack thereof) resulting in missing quality assurance and quality control procedures for critical applications and departments, and maintaining varying agile, hybrid-agile and waterfall software development lifecycle approaches, since multiple systems, or lack of, were used daily, but were not maintained appropriately.

Project Impacts and Outcomes:

The engagement team led the complex change management and training initiatives within the technology team and supported or led the new software development process (design to implementation) for dozens of applications. The team initiated the engagement in the role of IT organization current-state assessment and future-state recommendations, while also supporting the implementation of numerous software. This created the optimal environment and structure to enable agile delivery, to truly understand the on-the-ground needs, and to pivot as the client’s needs changed. This assessment also included focusing on external program-facing initiatives – the process points that required collaboration and communication between the technology and business.

The team provided agency-tailored technical portfolio, project management, business analysis and quality assurance services, including strategy, training, coaching and hands-on delivery. By the end of the project, project managers and business analysts were maintaining a consistent hybrid-agile framework, leading to on-time and prioritized software delivery. Quality assurance and testing was thorough and comprehensive, ensuring applications were delivered bug-free. The IT team maintained a transparent and aligned portfolio of initiatives.

Agile Operations Delivery Team

Agile Operations Delivery Team

About the Engagement 

At the onset of the 2020 pandemic, a state-level agency received the task to distribute funds from the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), acting as a grantee in the nationwide initiative that amassed approximately $46.5 billion. The program aimed to deliver substantial economic relief to assist households with low and moderate income who were at risk of homelessness or housing instability by offering support with rental arrears, temporary rental assistance, and utility arrears. 

Business Problem 

With households experiencing financial troubles, the agency needed to begin delivering relief funds as soon as possible. The agency had to ensure compliance with state and federal rules and regulations, develop internal policies and stand-up a massive grant management and administration operation within weeks. Specifically, the agency needed to develop processes and procedures to support application submission, applicant verification, benefits calculation, and documentation storage and maintenance. Lastly, given the priority to deliver relief funds as quickly as possible, the operational teams needed to be ready to accommodate changing policies, organizational governance, and technology on a week-to-week basis.  

Challenges 

Within the engagement, the primary challenge was system architecture and design. The system architecture/design was critical to ensure timely and efficient grant distribution. In addition, the system had to be accessible by varying stakeholders, with varying roles and aligned to the criteria set by lawmakers. The risk assessment(s) all pointed to prospective flaws in the system. 

Project Impacts and Outcomes 

The engagement team implemented a series of systems and processes to address the high stakes need for the agency to award grants to applicants. Specifically, the team implemented: 1) Governance to ensure a model for operation and oversight of the program, with a goal of customer ease and satisfaction with the program; 2) Management/Supervision to ensure a defined understanding of decision-makers and all roles; 3) Training to support knowledge and understanding of the technology and use end-to-end among all user types; 4) Quality Assurance protocols for accuracy at all levels of engagement; and, 5) Traceability between agency goals and customer service representatives to ensure everyone understood the goals and the guiding principles to make them actionable in day-to-day operations.