Company Name: Maxmed Healthcare
Location: San Antonio, Texas (US)
Industry: Healthcare
Main Apps Implemented: Contacts, CRM, Sales, Invoicing, Timesheet, Project, Purchase, Employees, Leaves/Time Off, Recruitment, Helpdesk, Documents, eSign, Payroll (data import from a 3rd-party service)
Company Size: 15
Odoo Users: 10
Hosting Type: Odoo.sh
Implementation Partner: Itransition
Company Background
Maxmed Healthcare is a US-based healthcare service provider, specializing in medical staffing for private companies and governmental organizations, like the US Army, US Navy, US Air Force, and US Department of Health and Human Services, just to name a few.
Maxmed Healthcare's business model is solely based on winning healthcare contracts through participation in tenders. However, in order for them to manage their tender application process, contracts, and employee/financial data, they were relying on a variety of disconnected solutions.
As their business expanded, these solutions simply couldn't keep up with Maxmed Healthcare’s growing needs. These outdated platforms required more time (and effort) to keep track of everything, which greatly hindered their business processes. Furthermore, since the systems weren’t integrated with one another, it was extremely hard to ensure that their information was accurate.
The folks at Maxmed realized they needed to develop an umbrella CRM/ERP/HR solution that could provide them with efficient data management and reliable synchronization. Not only that, they also wanted to migrate data from legacy solutions and create centralized information storage.
It was certainly a lofty goal, but achieving this difficult feat would optimize their internal processes by tenfold, and in turn, help them become as productive as possible. Needless to say, it quickly became a top priority.
With such a daunting challenge ahead of them, Maxmed knew they were going to need some help. That's when they decided to enlist the experience (and expertise) of the team over at Itransition. Together, they were determined to make all of these management dreams a full-blown reality.
Initially, Maxmed Healthcare aimed to develop a CRM/ERP/HR solution from scratch, but during the presale stage, the specialists at Itransition analyzed their workflows, and quickly realized all their wants and needs could easily be fulfilled with a customized Odoo suite.
Maxmed Healthcare never looked back on their decision to collaborate with Itransition, as they recognized (and respected) their vast range of ERP consulting services, expertise accumulated within their 'ERP Center of Excellence,' and their prestigious status as an Odoo Silver Partner.
Solution
The Itransition team delivered an Odoo-based CRM/ERP/HR system that enabled Maxmed Healthcare to conduct all their tender and contract-related business operations in one place, significantly simplifying (and streamlining) operations. Itransition unified their recruitment and employee data in the Odoo solution, supplementing it with additional HR features.
To ensure seamless adoption of the new system, Itransition performed data migration, and transferred all the documents from legacy solutions to the Odoo solution, without any issues whatsoever.
Tender Management
For context, in order to be awarded a contract for staffing services, Maxmed Healthcare needs to win a tender by finding a suitable opportunity, then calculating project costs, and creating (and submitting) a proposal.
Successful tender participation requires prompt team collaboration, efficient document management, and accurate financial calculations. For tender management, Maxmed previously utilized a legacy CRM solution (Unity) that lacked the necessary features required to accurately aggregate all the tender participation procedures in one place.
In its place, the Itransition team successfully implemented the Odoo CRM module.
The Dashboard with Tender Pipeline Analytics
Maxmed Healthcare finds tender opportunities through a service that collects governmental tenders, creates newsletters (according to predefined filters), and sends them to recipients. Previously, the Maxmed team would've had to read through the newsletters, find suitable tenders, and manually fill in the lead's information in their CRM.
To automate (and simplify) this process, Itransition implemented a custom parsing functionality that recognizes information - both in the newsletter and on the tender webpage from the newsletter - and matches that data with an Opportunity card template in the CRM module.
Having completed the parsing portion of the process, the system automatically creates a new Opportunity card with the lead, and fills in all the pertinent information. Also, to maximize the effectiveness of email parsing, the Itransition team configured the system to download all the tender-related attachments, and upload them directly to the Odoo solution for efficient document management.
To ensure each tender is properly managed, Itransition’s team designed a checklist template for supervising activities that need to be finished before the proposal submission stage can occur. Managers can easily add, update, or delete checklist items in the CRM configuration menu whenever they'd like, and once they ensure a particular activity is completed, they can mark it as 'Done.'
Since crafting a tender proposal requires the accurate management of various documents, Itransition also implemented a document organization system - using the Odoo Documents module that enables uploading, storing, and categorizing documentation.
However, the out-of-the-box module didn’t allow for previewing and editing documents as attachments, and Maxmed Healthcare needed a more extensive attachment management functionality to fit their unique business needs.
That's what prompted the team at Itransition to implement a collection of third-party modules.
The Maxmed team wanted to edit documents in real-time, so Itransition implemented an integration with OneDrive through a third-party module. They also customized the module, so managers could select any file they wanted to edit in Odoo, and the system would automatically open OneDrive in the edit mode for them. This saved the Maxmed team a lot of valuable time.
Also, Itransition improved the logic behind "creating folders" in OneDrive, in order to create a more efficient document storing system, which was conveniently (and coincidentally) compatible with multiple Odoo modules.
Since Maxmed utilizes Google Drive on a daily basis, the Itransition team established an integration for that, as well. They even enhanced the solution with a third-party Google Drive picker. They also enabled the system to export files straight from Google Drive, which their team accomplished by employing an OAuth2 protocol and REST API.
Managing Attachments in the Opportunity Card
To apply for a tender, Maxmed Healthcare creates a PDF file with their proposal. With this in mind, Itransition implemented a range of customizations to streamline this process, allowing managers to create proposals within the Odoo solution.
First, managers create lists of documents and select a cover page. They can upload the necessary files from their personal computers, select from the files already in the Documents module, or import them from Google Drive. Then, the system merges all the files into one, creating a proposal PDF.
If they won a tender, Maxmed Healthcare needs to sign a contract with their customer to start fulfilling contract obligations. Our team instantly simplified this process with Odoo's amazing out-of-the-box Sign module.
Budget Calculation
When creating a tender proposal, Maxmed Healthcare’s employees calculate the cost of fulfilling project obligations. Previously, the customer utilized Excel spreadsheets for this purpose, which Itransition substituted with a customized budget calculation functionality within the Odoo CRM.
When delivering the budget calculation functionality, Itransition communicated extensively with the Lead Accountant, to ensure they had a thorough understanding of the company’s "flow of funds."
The Itransition team significantly expanded the regular features of the Odoo CRM, by delivering a custom budget calculation functionality, located in a separate tab on the Opportunity card of the ongoing tender, within the CRM tender-management pipeline. Now, when calculating the project budget, managers first enter the types of staffing services required, along with the average salary per month (and year) for this position.
However, to better tailor final work compensation for each employee, Itransition added a wide variety of parameters that can affect the final pay. Striving to create a flexible system, they added an option for managers to manually input a new additional cost to the spreadsheet, if needed.
Filling in an Employee Compensation Sheet
Considering Maxmed Healthcare fulfills contracts in many US states, the brilliant folks at Itransition configured the system to automatically apply the appropriate state tax rates (and indexes) to the final sum. The system selects the target state, based on the geographical location of the healthcare facility that requested staffing services.
Having calculated the budget, the system updates the project budget field in the Opportunity card.
Maxmed Healthcare also needed the functionality to create PDF files, featuring the whole project budget overview and separate work compensation tables for each employee. Itransition implemented this customization seamlessly, providing Maxmed with the automatic PDF generation they requested in no time.
Contract Obligations
To meet contract obligations, Maxmed Healthcare needs to conduct the following activities:
- Find personnel that would meet their end-client’s requirements (either directly or through a subcontractor)
- Perform medical services for a pre-determined number of hours (specified in the contract)
- Charge the end-client, based on the time logged by employees
- Pay medical personnel
The legacy system complicated this process because Maxmed Healthcare needed to combine various tools for project management, which increased the likelihood of costly errors.
So, to help managers perform all these important contract-related activities with the utmost ease and efficiency, Itransition applied the Sales Order, Project, Purchase, and Invoicing modules into their workflow.
The primary tool for contract obligation management was the Sales Order module. The Itransition team renamed its Sales Order fields, labeling them as Contracts, to better streamline the new solution’s adoption. To access its features, managers can create a contract card in the module, itself.
Itransition also added a custom option to create projects (according to the template from the CRM). Doing so, establishes a useful link between the tender and contract management pipelines.
The Itransition team also aligned relevant fields in the CRM and Sales Order cards, making sure the Contract card is filled in with the correct data from the related tender Opportunity card.
Managers leverage the Sales Order module to oversee the execution of ongoing contracts, and to keep an accurate backlog of the completed ones.
Similar to the customizations made with the CRM module, Itransition implemented the option to add, edit, or delete Contract requirement checklists to the Sales Order, enabling managers to plan activities for contract fulfillment better than ever before.
At times, managers have to change the number of hours a particular healthcare staffer needs to work under the terms of a contract.
In this case, the Itransition team developed the "de-obligation" feature, enabling managers to reduce a selected employee’s workload by a particular number of hours, and this change would automatically synch up with the remaining work estimates across the system.
The Invoicing module allows Maxmed Healthcare to create (and send) clients’ invoices for hours that employees worked on a specific contract. Managers can also register received payments - either manually or automatically - by matching the invoice with the corresponding information on a bank statement.
When an invoice is created, Itransition configured the system to move employees working on a certain contract, from the relevant task to the contract card in the Sales Order module. Itransition also altered the invoice calculation procedure, so it calculates the sum based on employee timesheets within a selected period.
Since Maxmed Healthcare has a wide variety of contracts, managers needed a tool to help them keep track of contract termination dates, so Itransition enabled the system to send notifications 90, 30, or 15 days prior to the end date.
Itransition also developed a customization that allows Maxmed Healthcare to archive the completed contract, whilst keeping the records in the system.
While the Sales Order module is built to handle high-level contract management, it is unsuitable for breaking down a large contract into smaller, more attainable objectives.
To provide Maxmed Healthcare with an efficient planning tool, Itransition leveraged the Project module, and made use of its versatile functionality, which enables managers to create contract-related tasks, schedule (and assign) activities to employees, and oversee project progress.
For the Projects module customization, Itransition provided managers with the ability to link employees manually. Alternatively, the system can do it for them automatically, as they import timesheets from Paycom (a solution Maxmed employs for some of their HR operations).
The Itransition team also configured the solution to present the contract statistics as a spreadsheet, listing the provided staffing services, contract time periods, and invoices.
To deal with finished projects, Itransition implemented the project archiving functionality (similar to the one in the Sales Order).
In their line of work, certain contracts require Maxmed Healthcare to engage with subcontractors for outsourcing the staffing services (from third-party entities). To accommodate this need, Itransition utilized an out-of-the-box Purchase module, allowing Maxmed Healthcare to:
- Select (and compare) vendors by requesting quotations
- Order staffing services to execute contract obligations
- Confirm the received services and validate invoices
- View a graphical representation of subcontractor-related activity
Recruitment and Employee Management
Paycom Integration
Maxmed Healthcare utilizes Paycom, a US solution that offers a spectrum of HR services, including talent acquisition and management, time and labor handling, and payroll.
When collaborating with Itransition, Maxmed Healthcare intended to keep Paycom for their streamlined HR operations. This is why Itransition integrated Paycom with the Odoo solution for data consistency, and implemented Odoo modules to seamlessly fit with the Paycom specifics.
To export data from Paycom, Itransition first designed a report template in Paycom, matching all the Paycom fields with Odoo. This method was used to notify Paycom about the type (and location) of data the system needs to export.
According to the rules outlined in the report template, once per day, Paycom transfers the data to the Paycom FTP server. Then, the Odoo system collects and parses it, matching the data from the Paycom report with the related Odoo modules.
To transfer data from Paycom to Odoo, Itransition leveraged a system of Odoo modules, including the out-of-the-box Recruitment module for all the talent acquisition data and the Payroll module for employee work compensation.
Time-Off Calendar Overview
Itransition utilized the Timesheets module for the Paycom timesheets, with accurate logs showcasing how much time employees spend on contract-related obligations.
Apart from the regular time logs on Paycom, Maxmed Healthcare employees also create requests for holidays, legal leaves, and sick days. So, for that type of data, the Itransition team implemented the Odoo Time Off module.
To align Odoo features with Paycom-specific rules related to assigning days off, Itransition equipped the Odoo module with custom features, including the possibility to set the time-off starting date as the first day of the calendar year (or the employee hiring date).
Furthermore, Itransition provided Maxmed with rollover functionality, providing them with the option to choose whether the allocated time-off can roll over to the next period or not. If so, they can easily set the limit for the rollover, as well.
Advancing the HR Functionality
Maxmed Healthcare wanted Itransition to extend their HR-related functionality far beyond the integration with Paycom.
For employee management, the Itransition team implemented the Employees module, with customizations that expand the range of HR document management functionality. Itransition also enabled managers to add files to employee cards, if needed.
For storing general employee documentation (CVs, qualification certificates, etc.), managers can utilize the attachments field in the Employee card. Furthermore, the Itransition team implemented a custom Documents tab in the Employee card, which allows managers to store contract-related documentation (health checkup results, vaccination certificates, etc.).
When it came to storing employee-related data and documentation, Maxmed relied on two services, Unity and NetSmart, a legacy solution for hospital management.
Using Unity, managers kept track of document expiration dates (health and vaccination certificates, licenses, etc.), reminding medical personnel to renew or update them.
As the Maxmed Healthcare business grew, tracking employee profiles was becoming increasingly difficult. In order to simplify this process, Itransition set up the system to track document expiration dates. With this in place, the system sends notifications to employees (and their managers) about the need to renew certain documents.
Maxmed also wanted a tool to enable efficient internal communication amongst their managers. For this business objective, the Itransition team opted for the Discuss module, which allows users to send direct messages, and create channels for different employee groups.
Since managers mostly communicate with employees, via email, they also required an Odoo feature to provide them with a single point of contact - a place where they could quickly access the entire communication history of each employee.
Itransition provided managers with the ability to drag-and-drop emails in the chat (as EML files) to store them as an email log.
As a result, managers can access all the letters addressed to a particular employee directly, via Odoo. To simplify communication, Itransition also leveraged the Calendar module, allowing users to schedule one-time (and recurring) meetings, based on the availability of potential participants. They could also select relevant tags and set reminders.
Itransition also implemented the Helpdesk module to allow end clients to create complaints about medical personnel, and to provide Maxmed with an efficient tool for handling support tickets.
However, Maxmed Healthcare managers also required an internal tool for dealing with employee-related issues, such as unacceptable (or unprofessional) behavior. For this, Itransition integrated a third-party Notices and Disciplinary Measures module, which enables managers to create offenses, issue notices, and assign disciplinary measures.
Itransition also added a custom warning notice template, which is aligned with Maxmed Healthcare specifics of processing offenses. For example, the template has fields for adding employee’s remarks and corrective actions.
Creating a Notice with a Disciplinary Measure
With employee cards now located in the Odoo Employees module, Itransition needed to establish a custom link between the Helpdesk, Notice, and Employees modules - so all the issues related to a particular employee would be listed on their profiles.
When a manager reviews a ticket created on the Helpdesk by a dissatisfied client, managers can link employees to that relevant Helpdesk ticket.
Customer complaints in the Helpdesk module can result in a disciplinary action for an employee. With that in mind, Itransition provided a custom option for Maxmed, allowing them to link the Helpdesk ticket to a particular notice for employees, in order to help them better understand why they are receiving disciplinary measures.
Data Migration
In order to make the Odoo-based solution a single point of access for all Maxmed Healthcare data, Itransition performed data migration.
Our customer stored client tender, contract, and employee documentation on Unity. To migrate data to Odoo, the Itransition team retrieved the Unity database backup from the customer using Microsoft SQL. Itransition then studied the spreadsheet structure, and matched relevant fields in Unity spreadsheets with Odoo templates.
Considering Odoo is a complex and interconnected solution, Itransition designed a specific data migration roadmap to ensure the most interdependent data enters the system first. To enable the migration, the Itransition team also wrote a script in Python, enabling them to retrieve the data from the database and import it into Odoo.
Another challenge faced during the data migration stage was posed by attachments - and the fact that Unity only stored them in binary format. Since Odoo doesn't support binary, the Itransition team had to download all the attachments from Unity, convert them into modern file formats (DOC, XLS, PDF), and then migrate them into Odoo, attaching them to related Opportunity cards and employee profiles using a script.
The Maxmed team stored financial data (including budget calculations, invoices, contracts, and payment information) in Excel spreadsheets. To import Excel files in Odoo, Itransition manually aligned the spreadsheets with Odoo templates, moving data to correctly correspond with Odoo fields.
When performing data migration, Itransition quickly found out that the Invoicing module posed a challenge. To import invoices, they first needed to migrate the employee timesheets. This is because Maxmed Healthcare charges their clients based on the time employees spent on contract-related obligations.
Therefore, in order to establish a link between the invoices and timesheets, the Itransition team developed a custom script, which enabled them to first create timesheets, via Odoo Timesheets, using Excel data.
Then, after the system has created timesheets, the script uses the timesheets to create Invoices.
During the data migration, the Itransition team also encountered inaccuracies in documentation, which stemmed from the absence of synchronization in the legacy solutions. To ensure data accuracy on Odoo, Itransition collaborated with stakeholders to solve these issues, which in turn, enabled the Odoo solution to work properly across all the modules.
Results
Itransition delivered a comprehensive Odoo-based CRM/ERP/HR solution, efficiently tailoring it to Maxmed's tender and project management needs, all while streamlining their internal business processes. This unified solution enables Maxmed Healthcare to store all their data in one place and eliminates the need for updating (and synchronizing) information.
About Maxmed Healthcare
Maxmed Healthcare specializes in providing healthcare services to the federal government and non-federal entities. Maxmed has established an excellent track record of providing quality and reliable health care services for federal and various non-federal organizations by meeting (or exceeding) requirements and expectations, which have helped them build long-lasting customer relationships throughout their respective industry.
To learn more, visit maxmedhealthcare.com
About Itransition
Since 1998, Itransition has served over 800 clients from dozens of business verticals. These clients are SMBs, enterprises, and startups that rely on Itransition as their trusted technology partner, with specialized knowledge (and skills) in their particular domains.
Itransition is a respected global provider of software engineering and consulting services. The reach of their projects extends across 40+ countries (and counting), while our US and European offices house 3,000+ professionals - working daily to deliver business value through technology.
Learn more at itransition.com/erp/odoo
Odoo & Itransition Deliver BPM Solutions for Maxmed Healthcare