CEDAR BLUFF, VA: The
Appalachian region is not widely known for software development. But
location is important to real estate – not to talent – just ask Homer
Hickam and his fellow Rocket Boys.
The success of CORI
Inc., is more proof. CORI began when the Appalachian Agency for Senior
Citizens began to seek software that would enable it to improve efficiency.
They discovered there were no affordable software options.
“We looked for months
and finally gave up,” Diana Wallace, executive director of AASC, said.
“None of the software vendors understood how AAAs operate. Then
I realized that we had the knowledge and IT experience to develop our own
software. So we formed CORI to meet our needs and to provide other senior
service professionals with the tools they need.”
CORI personnel began the
process by talking to the people who would use the software. They wanted to
learn what they needed to accomplish, and how could that be done most
easily.
After completing the
interview process, the agency developed three programs. SAMME is designed
specifically for in-home health agencies or programs. TRACI is a
specialized transit program; and WERA is a Web-enabled information clearing
house.
The results were remarkable.
“We increased total
service units by 69.7 percent, in spite of a nearly 5 percent budget cut,”
Wallace said. “In addition, it saved us so much time that we were
able to perform more extensive training without depriving
our clients. It reduced complaints in our
transit division, reduced unexpected absences, and made all our operations
run much more smoothly.”
CORI’s first customer
was an area agency on aging located in Chesapeake, Va.,
that agency’s results were similar to AASC’s.
