Bonterra Case Management updates: 2023 roadmap and Q&A

Innovation is our priority at Bonterra, which is why Bonterra Program Management’s Case Management solution (formerly Social Solutions) has added highly-anticipated features earlier this year. To name a few: 

• We released Time-Based Alerts and Smart Fields in the first half of the year. 
• We strengthened our case management foundations with upgrades to Penelope’s billing service, improvements to Apricot’s accessibility, and several technical upgrades. 
• We built long-term accelerators with an ETO Results Reporting Engine upgrade and enhanced usability, especially when working with high volumes of participants.

Now, as we look ahead to the second part of the year, there is so much more to get excited about! 

Bonterra Case Management roadmap

Our team is focusing on features and updates that align with the following themes:

• Strengthen and Simplify Case Foundations. In Apricot and ETO, we plan to update Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) reports, forms, and touchpoints to align with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-requested changes. These changes will automatically update on your instance, so you don’t have to worry about compliance or performing manual updates. We’re also making continuous technical upgrades across Apricot, ETO, and Penelope to maintain security and improve performance. 
• Go Beyond Case Management. Inventory Management is coming to Apricot 360, allowing you to track the availability and usage of resources and goods in your organization. This feature is currently available to Apricot 360 customers to beta test, so reach out to customer support if you would like to activate it. Additionally, we’re making attendance tracker reporting updates so you can identify which staff members enter and edit attendance notes from your reports.  
• Surface the Most Relevant Data. Apricot’s Interactive Inventory Dashboard will provide key insights from our new Inventory capabilities and provide clear answers to commonly asked questions. Apricot Reporting improvements will be focused on Apricot’s underlying reporting architecture, targeting report speed, and data access. 

Watch this 2023 webinar to get a full breakdown of our product roadmap.

Let’s take a closer look at the updates to our solution by answering some commonly asked questions.  

Bonterra Case Management Q&A

How can I remain up to date on new changes that have been released? 

There are multiple ways you can stay informed about new releases! We communicate through in-app notifications, email newsletters, and the release notes section of our knowledge base. If you haven’t seen them, or need help finding these features, reach out to your Customer Success Manager. 

What enhancements have been made to imports? 

We upgraded the back-end technology to improve both the pace and volume of imports. 

Can I send texts or emails to multiple participants at once? 

With Apricot Connect, you can send direct texts and emails to multiple participants at once. 

Is there a limit to the number of documents that can be uploaded in ETO Batch Upload? 

We do not recommend uploading over 600 rows at once and larger files may take longer to process. Each attachment must be less than 100MB. 

Can you expand more on the roadmap for ETO?  

In addition to updating HMIS reports, forms, and touchpoints, our team is focused on technical upgrades, regular security updates, and compliance maintenance to improve the product overall. Our priority continues to be maintaining the highest standards of security.

Does Social Solutions work directly with HUD and do you support all HUD and HMIS reports? 

We do work directly with HUD, as well as attend their monthly vendor meetings and monitor their vendor wiki for updates. Apricot has all required HMIS reports through the AHS package and ETO has all required reports through the ETO HMIS package. 

Will the new Inventory module be able to track more than beds? 

The Inventory module can be customized to handle a variety of resources. You’ll have the ability to distribute both returnable (multi-use) resources as well as non-returnable (consumable) resources. 

How are Smart Fields different from Lookup Lists? 

Lookup Lists require an administrator to manually update the list options as time goes on and your organization’s needs change. A Smart List’s options will automatically update based on your Smart Field Preset’s setup and the data you enter in Tier 1 or Tier 2 records. 

How are Apricot alerts delivered? Can they be shown in Bulletins? 

Currently, alerts can be delivered in-product (under the bell icon in the top navigation), via email, or both. We appreciate the feedback about wanting alerts displayed within Bulletins and are considering it. 

Can Time-Based Alerts notify users when something is expiring? 

Yes, this is a great use case. When building your rule, choose “Upcoming” and select however long in advance you want to be alerted (for example, one week, 20 days, etc.). 

Leveraging Bonterra Case Management 

At Bonterra, we aim to empower your organization with critical product updates that enable you to create better outcomes in the communities you serve. If you’re ready to take your nonprofit’s management capabilities to the next level, get started by requesting a demo today.