6 Questions to Ask Before Switching Your Care Workforce Software
Switching care management software is a significant decision. These six questions will help you evaluate vendors honestly — and avoid the common traps that make migrations painful.
The decision to switch care workforce software is rarely made lightly. Your current system — however imperfect — is embedded in your daily operation. Staff know it. Data lives in it. Changing it has a real cost in time, disruption, and staff training.
That cost is often worth it. But before you commit to a new platform, there are six questions you should get clear answers to — in writing, not just from a sales demo.
1. What does data migration actually look like?
Ask specifically: what data can be imported from your current system, in what format, and who does the work? Some vendors offer a full migration service. Others provide an import template and leave the rest to you. Others will tell you migration is "easy" without specifying what that means.
You want to know: will your client records, carer profiles, and historical shift data transfer? What stays behind? And what does the state of your data look like on day one of using the new system?
2. What does onboarding include, and how long does it take?
"Onboarding" means different things to different vendors. Some include dedicated setup time with an implementation specialist. Others point you to a knowledge base and a generic webinar.
Ask for a realistic timeline from contract signing to the team being operational. Ask what happens if the process takes longer than expected. And ask specifically about carer onboarding — getting 50 carers to download an app and use it consistently is not a trivial task.
3. What is the actual cost at our scale?
Per-user pricing scales quickly. A platform that looks affordable at 20 users can become expensive at 80. Get a quote for your current team size and your projected team size in two years. Ask about minimum seat counts, annual vs monthly billing, and whether pricing includes all features or gates key functionality behind higher tiers.
Also ask: what does it cost when a carer leaves and you add a new one? Are inactive users billed?
4. How is NDIS-specific compliance handled?
Generic workforce management platforms don't understand NDIS worker screening requirements, SCHADS award interpretation, or the documentation expectations of the NDIS Practice Standards. Ask the vendor directly: how does this platform handle NDIS Worker Screening Clearance tracking? What does it do when a clearance expires? How does it support audit readiness?
If the answers are vague, the platform probably wasn't built with NDIS in mind.
5. What does support look like after go-live?
Many software vendors are responsive during the sales process and less so afterwards. Ask what support channels are available, what the response time commitment is, and whether support is based in Australia.
Also ask: who is your point of contact once you're a customer, and what does the escalation path look like if something goes seriously wrong during your busiest rostering period?
6. Can we talk to a current customer in care?
A reference customer in a similar organisation — similar size, similar service types — is the most useful validation you can do. Ask the vendor to connect you with one or two current customers and have a candid conversation. Ask them what they wish they'd known before switching, and what the experience has been like after the honeymoon period.
If a vendor can't produce a reference customer, that tells you something.
Teiro is happy to answer all six of these questions directly — and connect you with current customers. Book a demo and ask us anything.