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Features

Features and Benefits

Feature Details

Technical Specifications

  • Some of the many Productivity Features
    • An easy control-key combination can be used to automatically calculate and populate an agency-defined Unique Record Number. No need to worry about typos when creating an important data element such as this.
    • Follow-up reminders can be created from scratch or assigned to an existing Client Note. The Reminder will alert you upon logging in on the appropriate date that a Follow-Up is due.
    • Calendar-based deliveries can be created using an auto-scheduler (screen shot).
    • Barcode scanner support for recording congregate visits or for logging missed deliveries.
    • City and State are automatically populated upon entering a United States ZIP code, ensuring accuracy.
    • An email message can easily be automatically addressed to either a client or related individual (screen shot)
    • A map of the client's address can be generated at the click of a button (3)
    • Virtually limitless free-form notes and memos can be entered for any client. PDF documents can be attached to a client record.
    • Control-key shortcuts exist for virtually all functionality. For example, Control-N pops up the Client Notes screen.
    • Sophisticated route management tools, for managing the number of clients assigned to a route and for setting the delivery order of the route. The route management tools make route realignments a breeze. (screen shot)
    • Easy one-click copying of a Client's name and address for pasting into a word processing document.
    • MealService supports Special Meals. A Special Meal is the situation where you only need to print labels or identify the clients actually affected by a given day's menu.
  • Very Customizable Architecture
    • Number and type of agency services is fully customizable(screen shot)
    • Number and type of diet restrictions is fully customizable (1) (screen shot)
    • Number and type of meal components is easily customized, by day
    • Unlimited Delivery Services can be created. Each service can be configured to have its own default
      • Delivery Days
      • Delivered meal items. The default delivery items for each service are fully configurable.
      • The default items can be overridden, at the client level, on any delivery day (screen shot)
      • Funding Source
    • Items can be specified to require confirmation for inclusion on the day of delivery (screen shot). This enables you to include intermittent items, such as pet food (when you have it in stock)
    • Cuisine types are unlimited. Cuisines are ethnic- or regional-specific menus, such as Latin or Asian.
    • Both Ongoing and Calendar-Based deliveries are supported
      • Ongoing deliveries are those such as every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
      • Episodic (calendar-based) deliveries are those such as every other Tuesday or the first day of each month. This type of tracking is ideal for grocery or pantry services which need to log client walk-in visits.
    • Specific delivery items can be assigned to a delivery date, facilitating scheduling an item such as a birthday cake.
    • Routing is easily customized
      • A Client's default route and stop can be overridden on any given day, either on an ongoing basis or as a one-time event (screen shot)
      • A client can have multiple alternate addresses, either for a single date, a day of the week, or a range of dates. (screen shot). This makes scheduling deliveries to a dialysis clinic, for example, very easy.
      • MealService supports routing which can originate from more than one distribution center.
      • Easy integration with several mapping tools for routing optimization and/or driving instructions.
        • While MapPoint has been discontinued by Microsoft, it continues to be an incredibly cost-effective mapping tool. MealService directly controls MapPoint, allowing for incredibly fast routing optimization and mapping.
        • MealService also allows route optimization via several online mapping services, including OnTerra's RouteSavvy and U.S. Computing Inc.'s Compass. Compass can completely automate the route assignment and route optimization process, ensuring that an entire day's deliveries are delivered absolutely as efficiently as possible.
      • Route sheets can be configured in one of two modes
        • Only clients receiving a delivery are displayed
        • All active clients, whether actively receiving a delivery or not, are displayed
      • Route sheets can now incorporate virtually any kind of counts, at the top or bottom of each route. Some organizations may prefer to count clients by service on a route, while others may prefer to count meals by diet type and beverages required.
    • Virtually all of the edit fields that are not required can be hidden from view
    • Any Client's record can be flagged with a pop-up window as a reminder of critical information: for example: that the Client is deaf, or only speaks a foreign language.
    • The Health and Nutrition Assessment component is completely customizable
      • The fields and data elements to be visible are selectable, as well as the order of those fields.
    • NSI/ADL/IADL entry prompts can be customized and the responses are completely configurable. A follow-up reminder can be triggered automatically for any client whose score falls above or below a user-configurable level.
    • Postal and telephone formats are available for United States, Canadian and United Kingdom standards.
    • Plug-In support: Optional modules (2) are available which supply additional functionality.
  • Virtually limitless end-user query capabilities
    • Easily learned, Access-like query tool (screen shot)
    • End-user report builder for designing additional reports
    • The Intelligent Browse — an interactive-, live-browsing tool for easy ad hoc analysis of client data (screen shot). The Intelligent Browse is so powerful you may want to view the online demo to get a feeling for it.
    • Ability to create, via mail merge, a detailed client invoice (or donation request)
  • Reports
    • Over 100 reports are bundled with MealService
    • All reports can be easily printed or exported to other formats
      • Excel
      • Rich Text Format, should you want to edit the report as a word document
      • PDF, should you want to email the report or retain a copy as an archive
    • Additional reports can be easily created using the integrated report writer
    • Delivery Reports offer great flexibility in the choice of included data. Reports can be limited by
      • Service
      • Routes or Distribution Centers, to be included or excluded
    • Labels can be limited to a Special meal, if desired. The Special meal can be identified, in advance, as
      • a meal matching any selected diet restrictions
      • a meal with any items other than the default items
      • a meal with any diet restrictions of any kind
  • Trackable Client data elements
    • Address and delivery directions (with multiple addresses supported)
    • Complete biographic and demographic information
    • Household relationships — Clients can be assigned to a Household, so that relationships between and among clients can be easily tracked.
    • Unlimited external affiliations with neighbors, case workers, emergency contacts, etc. (screen shot)
    • Service Application information. The typical use is for tracking documentation status, but since this module is completely customizable by the organization it can also be used to track information such as Outcomes Surveys. (screen shot)
    • A Unique Record Number (such as might be assigned by a state funding agency), definable by the agency.
    • Funding sources, assignable by day and by service consumed
    • Reimbursement rates can be set to a default amount per item at the Service level
    • Reimbursement rates can be modified at the client level, should a client be receiving funding at a rate other than the norm
    • Client pledged amounts, by time period or by meal items
    • A robust Health and Nutrition Information component
    • Health assessments can be configured with up to 80 health-related fields from which to choose (screen shot)… fields such as
      • Age at time of assessment — calculated automatically
      • Weight
      • Mental condition
      • BMI — calculated automatically
      • Blood glucose
      • Cholesterol
      • Last hospitalization
    • Client diseases can be assigned without limit and reordered to show criticality (screen shot), with entries such as
      • Diagnosis date
      • Secondary conditions
      • Mobility factors
  • Maintenance of virtually all historical data
    • All meal deliveries (screen shot)
    • Records of all suspension of deliveries (screen shot)
    • Missed and excused deliveries (screen shot)
    • Records of all status changes (screen shot)
    • Entries for all nutritional counseling sessions (screen shot)
    • All health history records over time (screen shot)

      1 Up to 31 restriction choices are supported
      2 Optional modules are available at additional cost

      3
      Internet connection required for internet mapping service. Microsoft® MapPoint® can also be used for single-address mapping.
      4
      Windows™ 95 or later

     

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    Last updated on 1-Feb-2019
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