7 Reasons the SoftWriters Support Team is Critical to a Successful LTC Pharmacy
Anyone who is tasked with the oversight of long-term care pharmacies invariably has a lot on their plate. Between working with a multitude of different tools, handling key LTC pharmacy management tasks for multiple facilities and meeting a myriad of regulatory requirements, it can occasionally seem overwhelming. And when you bring technical glitches into the mix, "overwhelming" can soon turn into "pure nightmare fuel."
When you work with SoftWriters, you not only have the many advantages of a great LTC pharmacy software platform in FrameworkLTC suite of products, but you also receive the security of knowing an ace customer support team has your back no matter the circumstances. Below, we present several key reasons why — based on testimonials from pharmacy industry veterans who are longtime SoftWriters customers.
1. We help customers leverage their LTC pharmacy management software to tackle the most immediate challenges.
Virtually all LTC, assisted living and post-acute care facilities were struck incredibly hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the extreme dangers the disease posed for senior citizens. In turn, LTC pharmacies (and any other community pharmacies that focused on this client base) were also immensely impacted by the unprecedented public health crisis.
When unexpected difficulties like these arise, it may be hard at first for consulting pharmacists, technicians and other key LTC pharmacy personnel to deal with them as effectively as they'd like, even with the aid of pharmacy solutions like FrameworkLTC. That's where our Support team comes in. Working closely with our clients' administrative and IT leaders, we've been able to help them keep abreast of (and in compliance with) the various COVID-19 vaccination reporting requirements and other related regulations.
Barb Gasper, director of product analysis for Remedi Senior Care, cited this as a major feature of SoftWriters’ customer service — not only in terms of direct aid but also through easily accessible online resources like the Help Center.
2. We help pharmacies focus on the needs of specific facility clients.
As explained by Julie Martin of PCA Pharmacy, a 30-year veteran of the LTC pharmacy sector, the batch-based process for placing prescription orders and reorders in FrameworkLTC is engineered to be facility-centric. These requests are completed in multiple batches based on the needs of specific facilities, which differs somewhat from other LTC pharmacy solutions.
Our support team at SoftWriters understand that there can be a learning curve when implementing new LTC software. As such, we're always ready and able to help pharmacies and their teams better understand the ins and outs of the software and any other SoftWriters tools they may be using. The end result? LTC pharmacies become more attuned to the individual issues faced by their clients and offer more informed services. It's beneficial for all involved.
3. Upgrade issues are easily addressed.
Anyone who's ever updated a key business application or operating system knows well that the process can be fraught for any number of reasons. SoftWriters puts a great deal of effort into making upgrades to new versions of FrameworkLTC, FrameworkPOD, and other tools as seamless as possible, but in an unpredictable world, few if any processes can be completely foolproof every time.
When Martin encountered some adverse issues in functionality in the wake of a recent upgrade, she immediately reached out to the SoftWriters support team. Martin was quite impressed by how it was handled on SoftWriters' end.
"I can attest to this: Every support analyst I've spoken with … they are very professional, and they do a very good job of hearing what the customer's needs are and trying to provide them with a solution," Martin said regarding her experience. "They're a joy to talk with."
4. A strong focus on interoperability.
Both Martin and Gasper spoke highly of FrameworkLTC's compatibility with a wide variety of other key LTC pharmacy tools. Our support team helps ensure continued interoperability by immediately tracking down any issues that may arise when the solution interacts with other applications.
Martin brought this benefit up in terms of interfacing with third-party solutions: "The way that SoftWriters has designed their interfacing, with automation, with eMARs and everything else, is probably number one in the industry … SoftWriters has done a good job of providing their customers with the tools that they need to be successful."
For Gasper, the issue of compatibility was much more specific, as Remedi Senior Care uses a proprietary robotic medication dispensing system that is integrated with FrameworkLTC. The complexity of the tool has never been a problem when working alongside SoftWriters solutions.
5. Size and scope are never a problem.
The FrameworkLTC platform of solutions is used by LTC pharmacies of all kinds, ranging from independent companies to large, multi-facility chains. Gasper's firm falls into the latter category, serving 90,000 patients in approximately 30 states.
That size occasionally leads to performance issues due to the sheer amount of data traffic necessary to maintain Remedi's operations. The SoftWriters support team has worked diligently alongside the pharmacy chain's database administrator to mitigate these issues as much as possible. Gasper stated that three full-time liaisons help ensure a strong positive relationship with SoftWriters support.
"Obviously we'd [be able to] do nothing without it — it's part of the foundation for everything we do," Gasper added.
6. We offer always-on support.
Last but not least, SoftWriters support team make a point of being available to clients beyond the confines of normal business hours. Although we are primarily based on the East Coast, our call center is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to support our clients across the country. We also offer personalized support for our LTC pharmacy software via remote access, the Customer Engagement Zone and the aforementioned Help Center.
7. Customers Determine Our Success.
Over 40% of our team is dedicated to customer success, and in the past year alone we’ve welcomed 7 new analysts to expand our support for our customers and prepare for the future growth of the FrameworkLTC suite of products. We strive to offer consistent, personalized support for each pharmacy operator who seeks assistance while using our solutions.
Our team is here to create a seamless onboarding experience for our customers. Throughout our partnership, we’re accessible by email and phone to answer questions, lend expertise, and everything in between.
We are proud of our support team tenure. In fact, 67% of the support team members who were here 8 years ago are still working at SoftWriters, and 10 current support team members have been here for more than 4 years.
We have expertise in all areas, and while there are subject matter experts on the team, everyone is trained across the platform of solutions
84% of tickets are resolved without solution consultants
We maintain an above industry-average same-day closure rate at 85%
Though highly capable, our support team doesn’t go it alone. Our company culture is very collaborative, and we work cross-departmentally to problem solve for our customers.
When relying on software that is so fundamental to your business, such as LTC pharmacy management software, it is crucial that the pharmacy software solution is backed by a powerhouse customer support team who tirelessly supports you through the constant forces of change affecting your daily operations and our industry at large.