Insights
How UST transformed workforce management using Workato’s integration platform as a service, cutting overtime costs by 84%
OUR CLIENTS
Established by parents and caregivers, ERMHA365 provides complex mental health and disability services across Australia. With more than 600 committed staff, the organization delivers innovative, flexible, client-centered care that empowers individuals and communities experiencing significant challenges to overcome adversity and thrive.
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THE CHALLENGE
Disconnected systems and manual processes limited visibility and drove rising overtime costs
ERMHA365 faced critical operational challenges caused by disconnected systems, manual data exports, and slow reporting cycles. By the time insights reached leaders, the data was already stale, making proactive decision-making impossible. Key issues included:
- Manual processes—Rostering, overtime tracking, and compliance reporting required repetitive manual exports and time-consuming data manipulation.
- Five to seven-day reporting delays—Reports were slow to generate, contributing to reactive decision-making.
- Budget overruns—Overtime costs reached AU$30,000 per month, diverting funds from client services.
- Compliance concerns—Legacy processes led to less than required break (LRB) violations and heightened risks of non-compliance.
- Poor visibility—Lack of real-time insights meant teams could not anticipate overtime or staffing gaps.
These challenges left staff feeling overwhelmed and forced the organization into a reactive posture, undermining efficiency and creating financial strain.
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THE TRANSFORMATION
Workato improves workforce management
UST conducted a cross-team technical assessment, identified the need for a robust integration and automation platform, and recommended Workato, an integration platform as a service (iPaaS) solution with pre-built connectors, real-time monitoring, and interactive workforce alerts. In just 10 weeks, the powerful solution delivered:
- Streamlined, automated processes—By implementing end-to-end integrations and automating tasks, such as monitoring overtime, enforcing scheduling compliance policies, and optimizing rostering, the company eliminated manual workforce management tasks and reduced the administrative burden on staff.
- Real-time workforce visibility—The integrations and connectors unified systems and replaced manual data exports and manipulation, providing timely insights into staffing needs and overtime costs for better decision-making.
- Proactive alerts—Built-in Workato chatbots were integrated with Microsoft Teams, empowering managers to respond immediately to workforce events and make scheduling decisions.
- Scalability—The flexible automation iPaaS framework can evolve to keep pace with the organization’s changing operational needs.
- Training, coaching, and enablement—UST ensured that the company’s internal teams can manage and extend integrations and automations independently, enabling system sustainability and cost-efficiency.
ERMHA365 now has a proactive workforce monitoring solution with Workato, enabling human resources personnel to focus on more strategic initiatives.
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THE IMPACT
Measurable improvements—$300,000 in annual cost savings, 40% productivity gains
The results of the transformation were immediate and significant. The company achieved:
- 84% reduction in overtime spending—ERMHA365 achieved this cost savings in the first quarter following the engagement, equating to more than $300,000 in savings annually. These funds have been reallocated toward core client services.
- 40% improvement in scheduling efficiency—This productivity gain enabled administrative personnel to focus on more strategic tasks, and healthcare personnel are filling open shifts 50% faster.
- 160x faster reporting—Reporting cycles decreased from five to seven days to 15 minutes, saving 40 work hours every two weeks.
- Zero compliance violations—From a peak of 34 violations every two weeks, the new Workato solution ensures rostering aligns with regulatory staffing policies. The company has also mitigated the risks of compliance penalties and enhanced client care.
- Confident, empowered staff—The solution has received high praise from employees, particularly staffing teams, who now have greater confidence in scheduling decisions and more time to focus on care delivery rather than administrative tasks.
- A swift deployment—Workato’s technology was a great fit for ERMHA365’s lean IT team rather than monolithic middleware, enabling go-live in 10 weeks.
“We needed a solution that could connect the systems supporting our workforce, so our teams could focus more on client outcomes and less on admin. With Workato, we’ve been able to streamline rostering and scheduling processes, reduce overtime, and give our managers the visibility they need to make smarter decisions.”
—Peppe Prestia, IT Systems Manager, ERMHA365
Discover how UST automation services can help your organization achieve cost savings, compliance, and operational excellence with intelligent automation. Learn more today.
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Resources
https://www.ust.com/en/our-approach