Tutorial Guide » Overview of the Product » Functional Overview

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Functional Overview

Children, Family, Contact and Staff Database

Extensively Developed Database: iCare gives you an extensive database for information on children and staff to help you with the enrollment, waiting list, and record keeping functions.An Open-System Software: The iCare database and interface system is an open-system software package. It lets you create your own database tables, fields, forms and reports so you can track anything else you need that is not already included in the iCare database.Future Enrollments and Unenrollments: The children's enrollment process allows you to enter multiple future enrollment and unenrollment dates.For example, you can enter an unenrollment date for the child for the coming summer, enter a reenrollment date for the coming fall, and enter another unenrollment date for the coming year. All of these dates can be entered at any time.The system will execute these future enrollment actions automatically on the correct dates and all along give you correct projection reports for your decision-making needs. You don't have to remember these events.Mass Enrollment Procedure: Using this method you can change the enrollment status of multiple children at one time.Mass Printing of Children’s Enrollment Data Forms: iCare provides you facility to print hard copies of children’s basic data forms, such as, the enrollment form, emergency cards, and permission records.

Contact Management

The contacts database supports a repository of pictures for the children, their parents and their other contacts — a good security feature.An extensive and extensible family demographics database is also included in the database to help meet funding agency documentation requirements.

Membership Management

The membership module is for managing adults that have no connection to children. For example, funding drives, teen programs and memberships, etc.

Classes, Camps and Special Events

The classes, camps and special events module is designed for use for programs, such as:

§         Summer camps

§         Dance schools, Kumon Math or such after school activities

§         Field trips

Attendance and Schedules Management

Time-based or Type-Based Options: iCareAttendance Records with Audit Trail: The system provides extensively developed functions for tracking attendance and schedules.The attendance data is kept with a full audit trail. Attendance reports tell you where the data came from. All corrections and modifications are traceable.Consequently, your licensing agent readily accepts the attendance data and ratio compliance reports from iCare.Child-Teacher Ratio Control: A real time child-teacher ratio ticker gives you accurate information on the actual rations in each classroom at all time.Comprehensive Scheduling Functions: The scheduling functions in iCare give you enormous flexibility in the types of schedules you can enter and how you can use the entered schedules for billing and scheduling projections, staff planning and billing of children’s tuition charges.Temporary or Future Schedules: You can enter any number of temporary schedules or future changes of schedules for a child. These schedules will be executed automatically at the right time, without your intervention eliminating this task for you. You can review, edit or delete any of these pending schedules.

Automated Attendance Collection

Several methods are available for collecting attendance.Data Terminals: You can connect any number of data terminals in your lobbies. Parents and staff simply enter their code and password for the system to enter attendance.The data terminals have a LCD panel for the parents and staff to read their messages.Swipe Card Readers: For using this method you issue bar-coded swipe cards to the parents and staff. They simply swipe their cards through the reader every time they enter the building.Touch Screen Monitors: The touch screen monitor runs on a computer in the lobby. It displays a friendly interface that lets the parents and staff clock in and out and read their messages.

Automated Billing and Receivables

Hands Free Billing Automation: The billing of tuition and other repetitive charges can be set for full automation. You just have to set up your rates and policies, set up the schedules for children, choose whether to use schedules or attendance or both, and set up the billing periods.The system will automatically run the bills according to your choices and move the billing dates forward for the next cycle.Contract Billing Management: iCare is programmed to handle any type of contract billing scenario you may have. No matter what type of billing policy you have – billing periods, billing cycles, scheduled rates, attendance based rates, additional hourly and daily rates, and late fee rates – iCare can be set up to handle it in a hands-free manner.If your billing scenario is not covered in iCare, we can customize the billing module for you.Parent Friendly Ledger Cards: The ledger cards for parents provide excellent information for the parents so they can understand the charges and payments and reconcile their accounts easily. This will almost completely eliminate any accounting discrepancies with the parents.

Employee Payroll

Seamless Integration with QuickBooks Pro Payroll: The staff attendance data seamlessly integrates with QuickBooks Pro payroll system giving you a well-accepted industry standard for payroll functions.Export Function for ADP Payroll: If you are using ADP for your payroll management, iCare provides easy export of attendance data for integrating it with ADP PayData system.

Credit Card and ACH Processing

Integrated Processing of Credit Card Charges: iCare provides easy setup and operation of direct processing of credit cards charges and ACH checks. You can process one charge at a time or in batches for weekly and monthly charges.

Parents and Staff Communication

Multiple Ways of Sending Messages: You can send messages to parents and staff, which will be delivered when they clock in and out. Messages are delivered using any of the methods available – data terminals or the lobby interface.Multi-language Messaging: Messages can be written and delivered in several languages.Alerts and Memos: An extensively developed feature of searchable and printable alerts and memos is provided. You can make notes and records events at the school or child level.

Financial Accounting

General Ledger: A complete General Ledger feature is included in iCare.Vendor Bills and Checks: A complete feature for accounts payable is included.Asset Management: A complete feature for fixed asset inventory control is included.Integration with QuickBooks: A seamless integration of the General Ledger transactions with QuickBooks is included.Also available separately as add-on features are interfaces for accounts receivable data with:

§         Great Plains Accounting Software

§         Banner Systems Accounting Software

Instructions for using these interfaces are included in separate documents. Please contact technical support at Orgamation Technologies.

Immunization and Medical Tracking

Reporting and Reminders: A complete feature for tracking immunization records with reminders is included that meet requirements for each state.Medical Information and Administering of Medication: A feature for keeping children’s medical information and for managing medication administration is included.

Waiting List Management

Enrollment Process: An extensive task-based feature for managing the enrollment process for children is included. Even if you have hundreds of inquiries for enrollment you can easily manage all of them, right from the first call or web request to mailing information, handling visitations, and follow-ups.Standby Staff: You can maintain and easily utilize a staff standby list for temporary or permanent placements.

Schedule Reports for Email or Printing

Report Scheduler: You can select reports and set them up for automatic processing at scheduled times.Choice of Two Methods: Scheduled reports can be processed for printing or for delivery by email.

Mail Merge

Preprogrammed Templates: Two methods are available for using preset mail merge templates –by creating the recipient list from selected reports, and by creating a recipient list from all available contacts.Create Your Own Mail Merge Templates: From any report in iCare you can create your own mail merge templates using the fields on that report.Choice of Two Methods: The mail merge letters can be either printed on a printer or delivered directly to the recipients by email.

Richness of Standard Reports

iCare includes over 100 pre-configured reports giving you detailed and summary information in all the departments of operation.

Advanced Report Making Features - Ad Hoc Query Builder, Crystal Report Wizard, Column Grouping Wizard, and Data Browser

Ad Hoc Query Builder: The Ad Hoc Query Builder helps you generate custom queries for building your own reports. In the query builder the complete iCare database, along with the user-defined tables and fields you have created, has been exposed so you can get access to all the tables and views in the database.Crystal Report Wizard: The Crystal Wizard lets you build formatted reports from any query or report you create.Column Grouping Wizard: This wizard lets you create reports that have grouping by columns, like reports with data grouped by months, quarters or years. This feature is commonly referred as column pivoting.Data Browser: The Data Browser gives you ability to create reports on the fly. From forms, just one click on the Data Browser icon lets you see all the data in the database pertaining to that field. In the Data Browser you can add more fields to see more data. Once you have added the required fields, you can send the data to the report maker to create and save your own reports.Memorizing and Recalling New Reports and Queries: Any query or report you create can be memorized and then recalled any time in the future.

Custom Form Maker

iCare provides you easy to use features for developing your own forms and subsequently reports that can help you track any thing you like.Create Your Own Database Tables: A simple wizard helps you create your own database tables for tracking any type to information you need.Create Your Own Period-Based Tables: Period-based tables let you track information such as children’s grades and activities and staff reviews.Create Your Own Database Fields: You can add any type of fields in the tables you have created.Create Your Own Custom Forms: A simple wizard lets you populate your database fields on custom forms. There is also a form designer so you can create your own layout for these forms. You can even convert the text boxes on your custom forms into dropdown boxes for more consistency of data and ease of data entry.Create Your Own Reports for the Custom Tables, Fields and Forms: Your custom fields can be easily included on reports, which can be memorized for future use.

Food Program

iCare includes a complete USDA food program manager including:Billing Feature: Includes meal count and meal planning reports so you can simplify the process of billing. You can also manage the parent food bill.Menu Planning: A complete feature for planning menus and printing them is included.Production Planning: Both nutrition planning and production planning features are included.

Security of Data through User Profiles

You can create your own user groups and user profiles to manage who can do what in the forms and reports.

Door Security

A complete computer operated door opener security system is available. You can easily manage the list of people who are allowed to enter the building.

Last update: 2009-08-25 16:07