Smart Square

Smart Square

Comments: Over the past several years of working with Avantas on Smart Square, there have been times when we have had some concerns about functionality, ease of use, and response to issue/enhancement tickets. That being said over the past year Avantas has made a point to improve their product by listening to their customers and actually taking the feedback and implementing it into the product.

Pros:

I like the more modernized approach Smart Square is taking with the tool. I also like the involvement we have as customers in improvements being made within the tool.

Cons:

Sometimes it seems as if the enthusiasm to release new/updated features causes an oversight in some areas which in turn causes functionality issues for the users.

Effortless Schedule Management

Comments: As an employee, having a scheduling system that is both efficient and employeefriendly can make a significant difference in my work life. SmartSquare stands out as an exceptional tool that empowers employees with its user-friendly interface and innovative features.

Pros:

SmartSquare's intuitive mobile app and online portal make it incredibly easy to view my schedule, swap shifts with colleagues, and request time off. The clear and concise interface ensures that I am always informed about my work schedule and can plan accordingly. RealTime Notifications and Reminders: SmartSquare sends timely notifications and reminders about upcoming shifts, shift changes, and other important updates. This feature keeps me organized and prepared for my workdays, reducing the risk of missed shifts or scheduling conflicts.

Cons:

Limited Integration with Other Tools: While SmartSquare offers a range of scheduling and timeoff management features, it lacks integration with other essential tools that employees may use, such as payroll systems, HR platforms, and communication apps.

Smart Square Pros and Cons

Comments: As an SAA, learning SS was a challenge being as though it is a robust software capable of almost anything. That said, my experience has been great and I continue learning and growing with and through our support team at Avantas and the software.

Pros:

As a SAA, the more capable the end user is with having control of their schedule is beneficial to us. The open shift program is one of those that allows the employee freedom of scheduling and the leader and us SAA benefit from not having that responsibility, plus it works great in real time.

Cons:

SS can do all necessary functions and then some as a whole, and great for the end user, but I must say is not intuitive for the leaders managing it. Simplicity has been lost in the development of the new UI in my opinion. Along with it a lot more bugs. With technology ever changing in the efforts to make software more user friendly, the new Schedule Builder has created more clicks and hidden panels to work with. It is not to say that users don't use and like many of the new features but overall do not prefer the Schedule Builder over classic, unfortunately. Of course this may not have been an issue had we had an integrated HRIS feed taking all the shift updates off of the leaders plates.

Smart Square Superb!

Comments: I am so impressed with [SENSITIVE CONTENT] and his continued support to always be there and answer any of the questions I have. He is exceptional in customer service and helps make my experieince with Smart Square exceptional!

Pros:

I highly recommend Smart Square. If you are looking for a wonderful scheduling system to balance your schedules and have a user friendly product you are going to want to obtain this product. The custom reports are beyond helpful in gettting the information you need to present to Administration for them to determine the cost of the industry to the hours of employees for comparison.

Cons:

The only true con is there are things that would make our job easier with "special features" that have not been developed yet but Smart Square Support is always willing to listen and add it to what I call the future wish list.

Smart Square = Success in Labor Management

Comments: Team members like being able to see their schedules and available shifts to pick up via their mobile devices. Also the ability to submit time off to their managers and receive notification when approved. Being a multifacility healthcare system, this allows us the ability to see staffing at all facilities for best decisions for deployment of our enterprise float pool resources.

Pros:

The tool provides ability to have a predictive model for nursing unit census, a staffing plan built within the system to vary staff appropriately to the volume and a interface capability to load daily actual worked hours to volume to monitor closer to real time how you are tracking to budgeted targets. We also have an Open Shift tool to post vacant shift needs for team members to see and pick up to fill the vacancies.

Cons:

You still have use of the majority of tools within Smart Square for other clinical areas such as Surgery, Imaging, etc but we have not implemented any predictive modeling for these areas. Schedules are a little more complicated in these areas, but the tool still works for them as well.

Smart Square Product

Pros:

What I like most about the Smart Square product is the ease of functionality the tool provides our users. Allowing the team members options on ways they can schedule themselves or being able to see their schedules on the fly with a couple of presses on their cell phone.

Cons:

The only thing I can think that may be able to be improved would be the ability to re-run a report for the custom data reports section without having to select the data all over again. For example, I run a report that included over 100 units, my wish would be that I could click on a previous report that the system keeps on file, and just change the dates with the exact same items that were used in that previous report.

Pick Smart Square

Comments: Team productivity went up with the implementation of smart square. All of the automated features in the solution make it so easy to use.

Pros:

Smart Square has reporting features that are hard to find in another software solution. Our old scheduling system was a ton of manual work and we could not get the reports we needed. Our company needed a solution that could minimize the workload of our team but increase the capabilities of the solution. Smart Square provided that for us.

Cons:

New ideas can take some time to implement because they have to go through product development. When changes are made (like to the modern view), those changes were put in place for 1 or 2 features but not all. Example: as a manager once the new modern platform was put in place, certain user types had to go back the classic view to manager the schedule. It would be better for big changes like that to have it all available at the same time instead of piece mealing it together.

Smart Square Staffing System

Comments: We are able to see from a global view to the shift few staffing needs. We know that openings are being seen by team members. We are also able to make staffing decisions quickly with tools such as cancellation list when we need to downsize.

Pros:

Smart Square is very easy to use and is helpful to manager to see their needs. It posts openings to team members as soon as staffing changes. It has business intelligence that helps the managers to make corrections to staffing and improve budget issues such as incidental Overtime. The monthly scheduling process is easy to follow and gives team members several ways to pick up extra time. The support is excellent. We meet with our support team biweekly to review issues which helps us stay on top any issues.

Cons:

The one feature that could be improved on is the report writer. We are able to write basic reports. At times, adding a field to a report is difficult.

SmartSquare-a way to simplify Scheduling and Staffing

Comments: There are settings that control shifts chosen above what is needed. Units can no longer "hide" staff. You eliminate one unit sending staff home while another has a need.

Pros:

You can see staff on all units in real time so you are able to balance resources. There is much information about staff in one spot-date of birth, date of hire, credentials. Eliminates the manual system for incentives.Eliminates the paper system nursing units used for staff . Color coding makes identification of skills easy.

Cons:

If manual changes are made in certain settings, it affects the automated process.

Healthcare Scheduling

Pros:

Smart Square is a great healthcare scheduling tool built off an online platform allowing users to access the software from anywhere in the Continental United States. The most attractive function of this software is the Open Shift Program. The Open Shift Program allows front-line staff to login, see available shifts, and select the Open Shift to work. One of the main benefits of the Open Shift Program is giving time back to the nurse leaders and automating the shift selection process.

Cons:

The biggest opportunity we face with this software is the difficulty of integration between Smart Square and our HRIS software.

Smart Square and staffing to demand

Comments: It is an invaluable tool for managing a dynamic workforce in todays challenging healthcare labor environment.

Pros:

Smart square is intuitive for the end user. With a small investment on the front end, it can shorten the length of time very busy clinical leaders spend in scheduling and staffing. In addition, it has provided the very important vehicle that allows our organization the ability to implement need based incentives and an enterprise float pool for multiple disciplines.

Cons:

The networking with other clients is helpful in sharing of best practices. Avantas does a great job of listening in these forums to their customers and providing software updates that continue to enhance the use of the software. It is very important to spend time on the front end in the installation process to make sure that the users understand fully the design decisions and their impact.

Smart Square Use

Comments: There are many great parts to Smart Square.

Pros:

I do like that this is a web-based program and can be used from anywhere. I like that AMN is trying to update the views so make it user-friendly.

Cons:

I don't like that when they are updating the system, AMN is removing things that worked in previous screens and now do not work in their updates.

Awesome for Scheduling and keeping track of staffing needs

Pros:

My favorite item of Smart Square is the schedule balancers. I think they really help everyone understand what the staffing needs are for units.

Cons:

I do not have any cons as of right now. Thanks!

Smart Square review

Comments: Overall Smart Square is a user friendly - Enjoy working with our Smart Square support team!

Pros:

User friendly for team members - schedule filters - business intelligence tools

Cons:

Find the new schedule builder challenging - slowness and I prefer some of the schedule features in the classic view over the schedule builder.

Smart Square

Pros:

The new user interface to the mobile devices was the most impactful. There was a bit of a learning curve, but once the team members got used to the new look and feel, it was a positive change.

Cons:

The open shift tool could be improved by allowing the managers to view exactly what the team member sees on their shift calendars.

Smart Square

Pros:

The software allows you too proactively know where you have staffing/scheduling gaps.

Cons:

No cons from my perspective. The software is very user friendly, and the support team listens to our feedback.

Software that can configured for an organizations' unique needs

Comments: The support from the company has been amazing, I do not feel like I am on an island...I have resources

Pros:

Integrates with Time & Attendance, EMR and HR software. Reduces manual and repeat work for all staff.

Cons:

Rapid shift recruit product needs more configurable options, otherwise the tool is great.

Not sure

Comments: Good, just wish it represented outpatient surgery more than a hospital floor

Pros:

Organization.

Cons:

Not designed for an ASC operation, not easy to use from a technical standpoint

Smart Square Review

Pros:

Site is very easy to navigate from admin tools to unit schedules to dashboards

Cons:

I always find a search function can be improved. It's just easier to navigate through menus than through a search function