Introduction
In the heart of Minnesota lies Prairie Five Community Action, an organization dedicated to serving the community and positively impacting countless individuals’ lives. Across five counties, Prairie Five provides essential services that empower and uplift the community.
Prairie Five recognizes the struggles faced by low-income households when it comes to managing energy costs. To address this issue, they established an Energy Assistance Program to support those in need.
Journey: From Paperwork to Paperless
Several years ago, Nora Guerra, the Energy Programs Director at Prairie Five, was frustrated with the mountain of paperwork that came with their Energy Assistance program. Determined to find a better way, she sought advice from other CAP agencies and discovered Laserfiche, a solution that could archive completed applications.
Implementing Laserfiche was a game-changer for the department. It allowed them to bid farewell to the clutter of 4-drawer filing cabinets filled with completed applications. However, Nora knew there was more to be done. She decided to harness the power of Laserfiche Workflow to automate their entire process.
Nora enlisted the help of Khalan and Mark from Hemingway Solutions. Together, they dove into the intricacies of Prairie Five’s Energy Assistance application process. Unlike many other energy assistance providers, Prairie Five didn’t have dedicated staff for processing applications. Their staff had multiple responsibilities across different programs.
Khalan, an expert in Laserfiche Workflow, crafted a customized process for Prairie Five and trained the staff to use it. Despite initial hesitation, the team embraced the new system, and the energy assistance season went smoother than ever before.
Continuous Improvement and Remarkable Results
The following year, Nora knew there was more room for improvement. She wanted to make the process even more efficient and accessible to everyone, regardless of their office location. Collaborating once again with Khalan, they discussed the necessary changes and implemented them.
The results were astounding. By October 27th, Prairie Five had processed over 800 Energy Assistance applications, a staggering 39 days ahead of their past average. Nora shares her experience: “I’ve worked for this program for 16 years. This past season, for the first time ever, we were caught up on processing and approving all the files by October 27th. That was our biggest accomplishment.”
The new workflow system allowed them to innovate and streamline their techniques, significantly improving customer service. The staff was overjoyed with the new system. They loved the fact that they could work on any application remotely and easily access all files. The seamless handoff between team members ensured that work continued seamlessly, leading to a tremendous boost in efficiency. The staff love the new system. Nora often hears them ask, “Why weren’t we doing this before?”
This new system greatly improved their customer service. Nora says, “When someone calls about their application, you’re able to pull it up right away. The days of saying ‘I’ll put you on hold while I dig through the file’ are long gone.”
One of the biggest benefits is the ability to work from anywhere. Nora explains, “Any energy assistance staff can pick up the phone in any Prairie Five office across the service area. We know exactly what’s happening with each application, no matter where it was filed.”
This remote access proved especially valuable during COVID-19 times. Nora says, “This would have been ideal during COVID. I could answer the crisis phone and intake applications without having to send someone to the office to grab paper files.”
Nora concludes, “It’s been such an impressive change. This year was very, very good for us. We all worked it like champs.”
The new system has transformed how Prairie Five handles Energy Assistance applications, making the process faster, and more efficient, and improving service for their community. And so, the story of Prairie Five Community Action and Nora Guerra’s quest for improvement continues, as they strive to find new ways to serve their community and create a brighter future for all.
