“A lot of agencies are competing for diminishing resources,” noted Donald Smith, Director of Health and Human Services for the Heart of Texas Council of Governments. Facing increasing pressure from the state and federal governments to work more closely with other agencies, Smith needed to put in place a system that could centralize access to critical information, simplify the consumer experience, and collect data on both services provided and needs unresolved. At the same time Sandra Jones, a certified information and referral specialist for Central Texas, needed to streamline an overly-repetitive process. “We were looking for a system for tracking clients and an interactive system that could share information within our own agency and with outside entities to prevent duplication,” she said.

Her agency looked at several companies, also factoring in ease of use, cost, and security, and ultimately decided on Bowman Systems.

“After our initial discussions with Bowman Systems we were really satisfied as far as the security issue was concerned,” said Jones. “We received a demonstration of ServicePoint and CommunityPoint and quickly realized how the software could immediately make an impact. It was also easily customizable so we could tailor it to fit our specific needs.”

For Smith, a central issue was sharing. “We wanted something that could be used as a call center and also a web-based system that would allow the agencies to exchange information in a secure environment.” After an extensive search, Smith, along with the leadership of all 23 organizations within the Heart of Texas Regional Access System, chose Bowman Systems. “We felt ServicePoint and CommunityPoint were the best solutions on the market,” he said.

Having implemented Bowman Systems’ software, both agencies noted better communication, greater efficiency, and cost savings, but over and over they praised the improved quality of consumer care.

“Before, many people fell through the cracks,” said Smith. “People would get referred from one agency to the other. They’d be going through what must have seemed like an infinite number of referrals and phones calls and assessments, and a lot of times they just gave up before they got the service they needed.”

Now with Bowman Systems, clients are assessed once, referred correctly the first time and followed in real-time all the way through the process, allowing all agencies involved to get a fast and secure look at the progress.

Jones of Central Texas said people are simply getting more help faster. One dramatic example: paper forms have gone digital, with the end result being that the process of assessing and referring consumers to providers has been shortened from five days to one.

After nine months of use, Jones is more convinced than ever that ServicePoint and CommunityPoint are making significant improvements in consumer care. “ServicePoint has really changed things,” she said. “The funding dollars are being cut and we want to make sure every dollar is spent on programs and services that will have the greatest impact. Bowman Systems helps us do just that.”

In the end Smith and Jones said that agencies around the country would do well to consider Bowman Systems products. “The company’s Founder and President, Robert Bowman himself came down for the negotiations,” Smith said. “I was extremely impressed with him and his character. He just emanates integrity. And every concern we raised during the contracting process he immediately addressed to our satisfaction.”

Smith was also impressed by Bowman Systems’ ability to quickly translate field knowledge into software that works. “I always thought one of the big mistakes a lot of software companies make is they don’t spend enough time with the end users, and unless you spend a lot of time with the end user you are more than likely going to develop a product that is not going to be accepted. But with Bowman Systems we have made quite a few suggestions and every one has been incorporated.”

And beyond the quality of Bowman Systems’ software, Smith remarked on Bowman Systems itself. “The big question for me,” he said, “is if they can stand behind their product. Is the organization stable enough financially and does it have adequate personnel to provide the support when it’s needed? For me that was the primary factor in choosing Bowman over all the other alternatives. I felt they were a stable company and customer service is their top priority.”

“This is a totally new paradigm when it comes to social services,” said Smith.