Activities of service coordination
The three main activities of service coordination are resource selection, monitoring, and referral.
Benefits of service coordination
Service coordination is a critical aspect of management practice in any field since it is not always possible for an individual or single agency to cater to all their clients’ diverse needs. The advantages of service coordination examined herein are just some of the many that apply depending on the organizational setting and particular client requirements. In many cases, the mandate or mission of an organization can limit its scope such that it does not have the ability to provide the clients what they require. Consequently, case managers need to know where these resources are available in the community and subsequently initiate and facilitate their client’s referral. A key advantage of service coordination is that it brings about the reduction of incompetence by agencies because they only provide the services for which they are qualified and mandated to render. As are a result, there are more resources available for the improvement of service delivery to the streamlined customer base, eliminating the risk of straining facilities with client needs that an agency may not be equipped to address.
Secondly, the management of projects and cases is simplified because clients are not forced to wait for services the firm cannot deliver, only to discover this after wasting a lot of time. As a result, there are fewer people waiting to be served at any given period because all those with needs that require outsourcing are identified and redirected as soon as possible. In addition, through service coordination, case managers and clients can get a middle ground where to discuss the next step if there is an impasse, eliminate potential disputes, and prevent the breakdown of communication. The process of service coordination in most cases allows the client to participate in finding a solution, therefore, enabling managers to get immediate feedback, which helps them in recommending a referral party or allocation of resources.
In addition to saving time, such collaborations foster relations between the managers and referred clients. In a corporate setting, when one efficiently refers to a customer, the latter will feel appreciated and as a result, they are more likely to bring their business to the firm in the future. Moreover, when an agency or institution has the option of service coordination, they are better suited to identify and address the needs of their various clients. This is a qualitative benefit in that, it ultimately streamlines the quality of service provided by the organization since there is a high level of clarity and everyone understands his or her responsibility. This is also an added advantage since, when each person is aware of what specific role they are expected to play in the organization, it results in faster and more competent response rates. This a quantitative advantage as the organizations involved can do more for their clients by concentrating on their areas of specialization.
During the referral process, managers and other employees referring clients get an opportunity to establish networks with other people in related fields. Consequently, through coordinating various services, interactive and healthy interdepartmental relationships are forged among the service providers. In the case study, the referral process is described as flexible, therefore, it can be applied to any client making it possible for the managers to specialize and gradually improve service delivery.