Customizable and Flexible for all Case Management/Human Services Organizations!
Updated May 11, 2021
Customizable and Flexible for all Case Management/Human Services Organizations!
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Overall Satisfaction with Apricot by Social Solutions
Our non-profit organization uses Apricot by Social Solutions to manage data for the entire organization. What I really love about it, is that I am able to customize it to meet the needs of multiple programs within our organization and that it is flexible enough to grow as we do. In addition, I can design reports that inform the work of our frontline staff and increase their buy-in and support of the required data collection. Our end of year reporting as an organization, as well as data collection for various grant funders has been much improved. Training, resources, and technical support are all excellent, would highly recommend this software to any human service agency/non-profit.
- Site administrator is able to custom design forms and reports to organizational needs.
- Excellent training, resources, and technical support.
- Case management framework for human service-oriented organizations.
- Some features, such as aggregate reporting and are add-ons with an additional cost.
- As a relatively new organization (less than 5 years old), our last annual report was compiled by hand and from multiple manual spreadsheets and tracking forms. Nevertheless, it did not adequately capture all of the clients we served in any capacity. With Apricot implementation this year, we were able to report on serving over 200 clients and to give specific outcomes and data related to those we served, not just for specific programs but for the organization as a whole.
- Any human service agency can tell you that the needs of their clients change over time. While we could give anecdotal evidence of those trends before Apricot, we can now collect and track, in real time, data to inform any organizational shifts we will need to make to meet those needs.
We have not yet had Apricot long enough to achieve this benefit.
At the end of 2018, for the first time we had aggregate data from an organizational standpoint. We have recently used that reporting to apply for funding but it is too early to tell if it has had an impact.
I was not personally involved in choosing Apricot but know that our ED spent 2 years researching, comparing, and trying other software before choosing Apricot. I have used Cap60 in the past and did not feel that it was able to meet the needs of every program operated under that particular Community Action Agency's umbrella of services.
Community Engagement
We have used the connect features of Apricot Core (in conjunction with other software) to create a remote intake process that we utilized during the COVID-19 shutdowns. Applicants and community partners making referrals were able to express interest in our programs through a link provided on our website, which then populated into Apricot. We held Zoom information sessions wherein a student could learn about our offerings and submit an application in the same manner. Without these capabilities, recruitment would have ground to a halt. Likewise, once a student was enrolled in a virtual program during the shutdown, they could complete forms and surveys sent to them via connect to also populate directly into Apricot.
I answered this a bit in my previous response. We did hybrid services that often started remotely, moved to in person (to hand out and train our youth on the technology) and then moved back to remote. Staff were also working remotely and Apricot was essential to communicating shared client information during this time. Email triggers and Rules and Alerts really enabled us to share information in real time.
At this point in our Apricot implementation and Organizational journey...Apricot is a tool primarily for data collection related to connecting with and communicating about clients and reporting our outcomes. Translating that data to usable insights is a next level goal.
One small way we have begun using Apricot in our decision making is in determining client eligibility for services. We can report out on whether or not the client meets all of our criteria and has all of the required documents and hold meetings to then determine if they will get invited to enroll.
The entire design framework of Apricot is from a case management perspective. There are several features of Apricot that are very impactful
1. Connect
- To drive virtual intakes
- To drive client communication
2. Schedule
- Allows users to integrate Apricot with their most used calendar (Gmail, Outlook, etc.) to schedule client appointments and follow up directly in Apricot software
3. Classes and Terms
- Track client attendance with robust features and reporting
4. Bulletins
- Used to create a dashboard that assists users with tracking and completing case management tasks
- Can be used for Organizational updates
5. Referrals
- Transferring a client from one program to another within your organization is faster and more efficient
Using Apricot by Social Solutions
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Like to use Relatively simple Easy to use Technical support not required Well integrated Consistent Quick to learn Convenient Feel confident using Familiar | None |
- Drag and drop report creation
- Drag and drop form creation
- Searching/Data entry
- Can have multiple Apricot tabs open simultaneously to compare/transfer information
- Can't delete, only deactivate forms and certain fields on forms once published
- Trying to create complex reports with multiple limit sections for filtering results often causes errors
- Aggregate reporting
Yes - It is configured to have a mobile friendly interface. My users have not reported any issues.