This Child Care Agency (CCA) in Massachusetts works in partnership with families and communities to keep children safe from abuse and neglect. Services include support to keep children safe with parents or family members, when possible, as well as foster care or new permanent families for children through kinship, guardianship, or adoption. The organization also supports young adults, ages 18-22, who are transitioning from CCA custody to independent living.
CCA and its Partner Providers used an existing application to document child and adolescent needs, strengths, treatment plans/progress, activity delivery, critical incidents, family resources, and cases.
However, the original software required enhancements to adhere to new policies and conditions put forth by the State of Massachusetts and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
These updates included the need for an upgraded virtual gateway, improved management of user roles, and a stronger security infrastructure.
CCA and InApp began working together in 2017 on other projects, including the development of a genogram program and a custom calendar application. After positive outcomes with those endeavors, CCA turned again to InApp for its new i-FamilyNet application, and the team started the project in 2019.
The InApp team optimized the software development process, starting with an in-depth requirement analysis that mapped out the project goals and specific timelines. This step-by-step project plan included defined guidelines and standards for coding, intuitive UI elements, and thoughtful design components for CCA to review and approve.
The i-FamilyNet software upgrades were designed to optimize the existing approval workflows in the system to reflect the exact business process and removed any redundant activities. InApp developers incorporated ADA compliance using the special themes in PrimeFaces and validation using tools like JAWS and FireEye to ensure the application was accessible to public users.
The application updates also digitalized paper-based approval processes such as invoice generation, receipt submission, miscellaneous payments, etc. This improvement made a positive business impact during the post-pandemic remote working environment.
One of the biggest contributors to the success of the i-FamilyNet project was the consistent communication between InApp and CCA.
InApp worked as extension of the CCA team. With the help of a dedicated InApp Business Analyst, the entire project was mapped out before the development process began, ensuring timely completion of all goals.
Regular interactions between the InApp Project Manager and the CCA senior executive team accelerated the software development process and helped to ensure all deadlines were met.
InApp’s team of software development experts oversaw the upgrade, as well as the incorporation of
Java, JSF, and PrimeFaces for critical workflow changes.
Code extraction of the existing application used tools like Oracle Form Developer to understand the logic and
design the new workflow in i-FamilyNet. InApp added new reporting functionality using Jasper
Reports.
InApp’s innovative suggestions provided an enhanced UI with a more efficient workflow in the new application.
InApp determined the code / UI reusability during the initial design phase to optimize the development process.
A dedicated review process confirmed high code quality, as well as reusability and high readability to help with software maintenance.
InApp’s dedicated and skilled QA team ensured zero defects in production with automated testing of the core
workflows.
Bi-weekly meetings with CCA senior management provided full visibility of the project progress and ensured all tasks aligned to business goals.
Weekly reviews of the work by the senior CCA team ensured the project remained on track.
With the launch of the new i-FamilyNet, the CCA can successfully navigate the challenges of reaching children and families in need, as well as adapt to post-pandemic realities that have affected organizational processes.
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