What factors should you consider when choosing a system
to help your smaller organisation grow quickly? For Newcross
Nursing the answer was to find a scalable approach at the outset.
Liz Warren reports
Ever since Stephen Pattrick and his wife Michelle founded Newcross
Nursing he has had big ambitions for the staffing agency.
A key challenge as it grew would be to find an effective way to
link branch offices to the centre and to one another, and to
deliver IT services to each branch.
"We identified that one way to become a leading company in our
field in a short period of time was to create a business model and
core systems that were highly scalable and easily managed," says
Pattrick.
"I have seen many companies grow to a certain size and then have to
stop for two years to reinvent themselves because their business
model and systems could not support that growth. So we began
investing in that scalable approach from early on, because we knew
it would be cheaper in the long run."
With a background in IT, Pattrick knew that the best approach would
be for all the agency's systems to be based on internet
technologies and run from central servers. The heart of the
company's business is its booking system, which allows it to match
the skills and shift preferences of nurses with the requirements of
clients such as hospitals. The company also runs web-based accounts
and management systems.
The key stumbling block was connecting branches to the servers. "We
considered leased lines but the cost was prohibitive," says
Pattrick. "We knew broadband was coming, so we carried on with our
development so that as soon as broadband was available, we could
take it.
"Now, when we open a new office, we just have to put in broadband,
plug in some PCs and we are ready to go. So our systems and how we
operate have allowed us to expand rapidly by giving us
scalability," he says.
The company will open a further two offices by the end of 2003 and
two more before April 2004. In the longer term, Pattrick aims to
quadruple the company's turnover during the next two years.
The choice of broadband supplier was also straightforward. BT was
chosen because of the support package it offers. "It is not just
about price," Pattrick says. "Saving a few pounds a month is not
worth it if the system then goes down for six hours. It is a core
business product for us, so we need to be sure that if there are
problems, they are dealt with quickly.
"I felt the other suppliers did not have the resources, skills and
infrastructure to manage their services in that way."
Pattrick says there have been some difficulties with contracts and
service level agreements with BT which he puts down to the fact
that broadband was originally promoted for home users and as "not
for business". For instance, Newcross needed to move an office and
take its existing broadband connection along, but BT's processes
were not set up to allow an immediate change. However, BT did solve
the situation quickly when it was pointed out. It is understood
that the supplier is reviewing its processes to accommodate
business needs.
Broadband allows Newcross to reap the benefits of running all its
applications on a central server, such as simpler management of
applications and updates. Similarly, providing all documents
through an intranet driven by a central repository makes it easy
for the company, as an ISO9000-registered business, to distribute
new versions. Information and applications are secured by running
HTTP servers and providing password access to services, as well as
other security measures.
Pattrick says running web-based systems also provides other
opportunities for the company, especially when it comes to
delivering added value to the nurses who work for it and the
organisations that are its clients. "Margins are getting tighter
and there will be an optimal level we can charge at and an
increasing move to standard rates across the sector, so we have to
look at value-added services to attract clients," he adds.
For instance, nurses an log into an extranet to pick up electronic
payslips, saving the agency at least £10,000 a year in mailing
costs. At the same time, nurses can enter the hours they will be
available to work in the future and be immediately matched by the
booking system to any suitable shifts. Other features on the
extranet include the ability to print out timesheets and a mapping
tool that provides directions to placements.
Hospitals can use the extranet to add their requirements to the
database and monitor progress in fulfilling vacancies. Management
reports are available, showing how quickly shifts are filled, what
use hospitals have made of the agency's nurses, and projections of
use, allowing them to consider ways of meeting those needs with
their own staff.
"Broadband and web-based systems give us the freedom to do what we
want," Pattrick says. "We can think about the management of our
business, not the implementation. People can see the information
they want anywhere, anytime, and everyone is able to communicate
with everyone else."
Further value-added services are being developed in a pilot scheme
with South Devon Healthcare Trust, including enabling nurses to
clock in and out of shifts from the hospital using a password
protected electronic time sheet.
About the project
The challenge: To develop core systems that would
support the company's rapid growth yet be cost-effective
The solution: Web-based applications that are
highly scalable and can be deployed quickly when new offices are
opened, using broadband network links to create low-cost always-on
server connections
The benefits
Branch offices can be permanently connected to head office and
corporate applications at low cost
New offices can be opened quickly and supported easily and
cheaply
Value-added extranet services can be offered to nurses and clients,
improving competitive differentiation.
About the company
Newcross Nursing is a nurse resource management company, providing
temporary care staff to hospitals, nursing homes, industry and home
care agencies.
The company was set up seven years ago by husband and wife team
Stephen and Michelle Pattrick, and expects to achieve a turnover of
£8m this year. It operates from 11 offices and has 4,000 nurses and
carers on its books.
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