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Posted: 02/01/2006

Medical and Professional Services (MAPS), a leading medical reporting agency in the United Kingdom, wanted to replace its unstable and unsupported database of medical practitioners along with its core finance systems to streamline its business processes. 

Working with Microsoft® Certified Business Solutions Partner, Benteq, MAPS deployed Microsoft Business Solutions–Great Plains® (now part of Microsoft DynamicsTM), which provides a modern environment for further improvement of its business systems. Microsoft Great Plains is integrated with Microsoft Exchange Server 2003, Microsoft Office Outlook® 2003, and Microsoft Windows Server™ 2003. 

MAPS can now grow its business without increasing the size of its back-office team and has completely changed its system for the cost of one year’s support and consultancy from the previous supplier.

SituationMedical and Professional Services (MAPS), established in 1999, is a leading medical reporting agency that works closely with a number of the leading personal injury law firms, including Thompsons, the largest specialist personal injury legal practice in the United Kingdom. It offers a speedy, efficient, and cost-effective service for obtaining high-quality medical reports to provide to solicitors, insurance companies, and others involved in all types of personal injury claims and litigation, including clinical negligence.

MAPS has gained a huge reputation in its field because of the quality of more than 3,000 doctors covering most medical specialisations selected for the company’s database, which is subject to continuous update.

However, Roan Technology, now defunct, had implemented the company’s systems based on a UNIX operating system using the Informix database with a client developed in Delphi. MAPS grew concerned that access would only be supported for a limited period.
 
The key legacy systems at MAPS were the accounts system and the database with details of all doctors and other specialists used by the company. The database also recorded details of specialists being approached by the company, any who had declined work from MAPS, and details of doctors rejected by the company. 

MAPS decided to seize the opportunity to search for an environment that would develop new operational processes that were not viable on its legacy software. The company wanted to achieve simple integration with modern e-mail messaging and the Microsoft® Office System tools, which were impossible with the old system.

Steve Allen, Managing Director, MAPS, says, “We also wanted to develop cost-effective new customer service offerings. By using standard technology and a standard ‘off the shelf’ product, we hoped to break our previous dependency on a single supplier.”

SolutionThe most compatible solution for MAPS was proposed by business solutions specialist Benteq, a Microsoft Certified Business Solutions Partner. The decision to go ahead with a new finance and database system using Microsoft Business Solutions–Great Plains® business software took place in September 2004.

Microsoft Great Plains offers integrated capabilities for financial management, distribution, manufacturing, project accounting, human resource management, field service management, and business analytics. The key to MAPS was the suitability of core financials to a professional services- based company and the ease with which the system could be tailored and integrated to meet the operational needs of the business.

Benteq identified a number of needs unique to MAPS where specific tools within the Microsoft Great Plains product suite could help with basic screen tailoring, changes to the application logic, and secure and reliable system integration. The Microsoft .NET Framework was fundamental to the development of the custom-written doctors database, which, in turn, integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Great plains and MAPS’ key clients’ systems.

Mike Risley, Managing Director, Benteq, says, “By using the Microsoft Visual Basic® .NET development system and Microsoft ASP.NET, we benefit from tools for developing Web-based as well as Microsoft Windows® [operating system] applications. A key reason for choosing such a development tool set is that this is Microsoft’s strategic development platform.”

He adds, “You can expect this to be the best toolset to provide the most easily-supportable and easy-to-integrate solutions. You also find that skills with these products are widely available. It is also highly suitable for creating solutions closely linked with Microsoft Great Plains.”

MAPS deployed Microsoft Windows Server™ 2003, part of Microsoft Windows Server System™ integrated server software for the operating system, the Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 communication and collaboration server, the Microsoft Office Outlook® 2003 messaging and collaboration client, and Microsoft SQL Server™ 2000 for the database. The new hardware was based on Dell servers.

Benefits
Increases Business Value of Medical Practitioners’ Database
Key to the success of the new database solution at MAPS is having standard technology and a standard product where the company is no longer tied into a particular supplier.

Microsoft Great Plains is meeting MAPS’ exact requirements, especially for the import and export of critical information about specialist medical practitioners. The database is the lifeblood of MAPS’ business, and the ability to find specialist practitioners speedily is a key factor for ensuring customer satisfaction and repeat business.

Allen says, “By using Microsoft Great Plains, we are now much better placed to act and think strategically and to increase the business value of our database. With our previous system, our business was virtually at a standstill. We are now ready for significant growth with a system that is no longer dependent on manual processes.”

Low Total Cost of Ownership Compared to Legacy System
Together with the new functions compared to the legacy system comes the added advantage of a low total cost of ownership (TCO) for the new database and financial management system. Microsoft warrants that Microsoft Great Plains will continue to be developed and supported until 2013 at a minimum.

Allen says, “Although it is difficult to quantify the exact savings so soon after the implementation was completed, there are significant gains. We have totally changed our old system for the cost of one year’s support and consultancy from our previous supplier. With the .NET Framework we can develop new customer offerings on a very cost-effective basis.”

Improves Security for Business-Critical Information
MAPS was growing increasingly concerned by the instability of its previous database system. Microsoft Great Plains and SQL Server 2000 are the foundation for a second phase development planned for later this year when the database will be accessed through the company’s Web site.

Allen says, “Our previous system was increasingly unstable, but with the new solution, we have a completely stable and secure database, which is reproducible. The added security and peace of mind that it brings will be especially important when we move to the next phase with access to the database through the Web site for approved users.”

Integration With Web-based and Windows Applications
A major benefit for MAPS is the tight integration made possible by Microsoft Great Plains between its database and finance system, and the systems used by its key clients.

Risley says, “Easy integration is a distinguishing feature for both Web-based and Windows applications. MAPS now has full integration with modern e-mail messaging technology and the Microsoft Office System, which the legacy product did not offer. With the finance system, MAPS has implemented Exchange Server 2003, Office Outlook 2003, and Windows Server 2003."

Microsoft Dynamics Microsoft Dynamics is a line of integrated, adaptable business management solutions that enables you and your people to make business decisions with greater confidence. Microsoft Dynamics works like familiar Microsoft software such as Microsoft Office, which means less of a learning curve for your people, so they can get up and running quickly and focus on what’s most important. And because it is from Microsoft, it easily works with the systems your company already has implemented. By automating and streamlining financial, customer relationship and supply chain processes, Microsoft Dynamics brings together people, processes and technologies, increasing the productivity and effectiveness of your business, and helping you drive business success.

For more information about Microsoft Dynamics, go to:
www.microsoft.com/dynamics

© 2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Tags: maps, microsoft windows server 2003, microsoft great plains product suite, microsoft dynamics, microsoft exchange server 2003, microsoft sql server 2000, informix database, business solutions specialist benteq, adaptable business management solutions, implemented exchange server 2003, certified business solutions,