Many business leaders recognize the benefits of consolidating a unified application platform. These include improving application security, instant access to data to make real-time decisions, and building simplified technology architectures that are easier to manage.
UC tools are essential for boosting employee productivity and providing better customer service. But the benefits of implementing a unified software platform go beyond these crucial functions.
Increased Efficiency
A unified platform allows all service data to be accessed and validated in one location. This enables error-free claim submissions, which can help speed up the revenue cycle process. Plus, it eliminates the costs associated with 3rd party providers and clearinghouses and saves time spent managing denied claims and creating reports.
This can be particularly helpful for a regulated industry like I/DD services. A system that captures and stores your service data in one place can also help your team prepare for audits. This can prevent the costly penalties that come with failing an audit.
Unified software tools offer a more efficient workflow, which allows your employees to focus on the tasks at hand and reduce the number of errors they make. Additionally, they can access all the information they need about a customer without logging in and out of different programs. This can make answering a customer’s questions easier and provide better service. Additionally, unified tools allow you to track employee work hours and ensure compliance with company policies.
Reduced Errors
A unified software platform like NGFW as a service reduces the number of systems agents use and eliminates the need for multiple passwords or logins to manage. This decreases the risk of errors by reducing the time spent working on these systems and allows for easier reporting and better decision-making.
Unified software platforms allow non-IT professionals to create business apps without extensive programming knowledge. This enables more employees to work on problem-solving initiatives rather than mundane, routine tasks and frees professional developers to focus on projects that offer differentiating value.
A unified system also allows for service data to be captured and stored on the same platform, which helps to speed up the revenue cycle process and increase operational efficiency. Additionally, a unified system can be remotely managed from a single dashboard, which allows IT technicians to resolve issues faster and saves on travel expenses. This can significantly reduce costs and complexity.
Enhanced Security
Unified Software Platforms provide a high level of security, reducing the risk of data breaches or malware attacks. They also make it easier to implement and manage security policies.
In the client/server and web 2.0 era, using best-of-breed solutions for each business function was common – accounting by SAP, supply chain by JD Edwards, HCM by PeopleSoft, etc. Using multiple vendors for different business functions creates silos and requires complicated integrations.
With unified tools, you get a single, centralized solution that integrates all your business processes and applications in one place. This eliminates the need for complex integrations, saving you money for set-up fees and labor costs.
The unified software platform makes it possible to quickly develop robust embedded systems without worrying about hardware integration. Designed to be easy to use, the platform automatically tailors the hardware architecture to your application code or algorithm. It is also designed to work with popular industry-standard build systems and mainstream developer-focused environments.
Increased Visibility
When a company has data scattered across multiple systems, it increases the chance of error and makes monitoring and tracking trends difficult. However, a unified platform brings all your information together in one spot, making it easier to see everything happening.
This enables your team to capture service data and submit it for billing much quicker, ultimately helping you realize revenue sooner. Using a UC solution is a massive benefit and can significantly impact your bottom line.
UC platforms also help you save money by reducing the cost of hardware and network providers. Your calls are placed over the Internet rather than through a traditional telephone system.
In addition to these cost savings, a UC solution provides tools that keep your employees accountable. For example, a UC tool’s instant messaging functionality makes it easy to check in with employees when they can’t be face-to-face. This helps ensure that everyone is on task and that productivity remains high.
Increased Flexibility
One of the most significant benefits of a unified software platform is its flexibility. The unified architecture allows the technology vendor to streamline product updates for all customers, making them available more quickly than if each system had its different architecture.
According to Greer, the unified architecture also makes the platform hardware agnostic, which allows companies to choose different devices based on their specific needs. This flexibility and the ability to access a wealth of vehicle and driver performance information can help fleets maximize operational efficiency and reduce costs.
A single supplier with a single platform and database typically builds unified software platforms. This differs from integrated solutions often developed by multiple suppliers with several acquired modules. Central stations and professionals in the security industry need to understand how these differences can impact their business operations. One of the most significant benefits is that unified solutions can capture service data immediately after completion, speeding up the revenue cycle and allowing businesses to realize profit sooner.
