Background:

Aitkin County Health & Human Services (H&HS) is tasked with overseeing a variety of programs aimed at improving the health and well-being of the county’s residents. Located in Minnesota, the H&HS department is responsible for coordinating a wide range of services from healthcare support to human services assistance. These responsibilities require H&HS to ensure smooth internal operations, including keeping track of staff availability and managing visitor intake.

For years, Aitkin County H&HS had relied on a combination of tools to help with these tasks, including Office Status to track employee in/out status. However, with the impending discontinuation of their existing system and the department’s visitor management process still being paper-based, Aitkin County H&HS recognized the need for a more modern and cohesive solution.

Problem:

Aitkin County H&HS faced a significant challenge when its in out board provider, Office Status, announced that it would no longer support the system. This left the department in urgent need of a replacement to track staff availability. Additionally, their visitor management system was outdated, relying on a manual, paper-based process for logging visitors.

“We used Office Status for staff, but our visitor management system was on paper, nothing digital,” explains Paula Arimborgo, Administrative Assistant & Contract Coordinator at Aitkin County H&HS. This created major delays in tracking visitor arrivals, and front desk staff spent time managing outdated processes that could be digitized to enhance overall workflow.

Search:

With a clear need for a new system, Aitkin County H&HS began its search with specific goals in mind: find a system that could function both as a digital in out board and a visitor management system. “We wanted a system that would act as both an in out board, as well as a visitor management system,” Arimborgo explains. “Additionally, we wanted something cost-effective and user-friendly.”

Initially, the H&HS team tried another system but quickly realized that it didn’t cover every criterion they had in mind, “We actually chose a different system, and as we were using it for a month, we realized it did not meet all of our needs,” Arimborgo states.

At that point, Arimborgo recalled the H&HS director’s past experience with Savance, and they began to do more research on the product via the Internet, “Our director had used Savance EIOBoard at her last job and we found Savance online after researching in out boards.”

Solution & Implementation:

After choosing Savance Workplace, Aitkin County H&HS implemented the Savance Electronic In Out Board and Visitor Management system. This combination allowed the department to manage staff statuses and visitor sign-ins more effectively through a cohesive, digital platform.

Visitors now check in using a self-service kiosk, eliminating the need for paper logs. In addition, the system sends automatic notifications to the person the visitor is meeting, ensuring smooth communication between visitors and staff. Lastly, Savance Visitor Management also incorporates a barcode reader for pre-registration QR code scanning, making the visitor check-in process even more efficient. This streamlined solution replaced H&HS’s outdated paper log and added a level of professionalism to the department’s visitor management processes.

“There were challenges in the beginning with setting up the kiosk and getting everything to work properly,” Arimborgo reflects. However, thanks to the support from Savance, those issues were quickly resolved. “I worked closely with Joseph, and he helped us work through our issues,” she states. “Whenever we had an issue, Savance was quick to respond and resolve it.”

From the Savance Support Team’s perspective, the implementation at Aitkin County H&HS was an opportunity to showcase how Savance can provide hands-on support to ensure smooth integration. “The implementation process was a collaborative effort where we worked closely with Aitkin County H&HS to address their unique needs and challenges,” says Joseph Cognata, Implementation Specialist at Savance. “By providing personalized support, we were able to ensure a seamless transition and a system that truly benefits their workflow.”

Results & Benefits:

Since implementing the Savance Workplace system, Aitkin County H&HS has seen clear improvements in efficiency and communication. “We have been able to get rid of the paper spreadsheets previously used for visitor sign-in, and the kiosk is so efficient,” Arimborgo says. With visitors now signing in digitally, the front desk staff has more time to focus on other tasks. “The new system saves time. Visitors sign in at the kiosk, and an email, text, and an arrival notification is sent to the person the visitor is here to see, giving our front desk staff more time to work on projects and to help customers.”

In addition to improving visitor management at Aitkin County H&HS, the centralized platform has also enhanced accountability across the board, allowing employees to update their statuses remotely and keep real-time availability accurate. The ability to run detailed visitor reports has also proven useful, adding another layer of operational efficiency.

After reflecting on the implementation and overall experience with Savance, Arimborgo is confident in the abilities of the system, “The customer support is excellent, it saves time, and has a lot of different features that are very helpful,” she shares.

From Savance’s perspective, working with Aitkin County Health & Human Services was a valuable opportunity to demonstrate how Savance Workplace can address a variety of operational challenges. “Working with Aitkin County H&HS allowed us to show how our integrated system can streamline processes for both staff and visitors, while also making their day-to-day operations more efficient,” states Robert Heady, Sales Representative at Savance. “We’re proud to have helped them transition from outdated methods to a modern, digital system that saves time and enhances accountability.”