The Evolution of Assisted Rides into a Comprehensive Data Management Solution

In our inaugural year of 2022,  Age-Friendly Saco’s pilot Volunteer Medical Rides Program relied on spreadsheets, numerous emails, repetitive phone calls and traditional paper files to do all of our scheduling of medical ride appointments.  As data collection requirements continued to grow with the increase in the volume of rides requested,  our transportation coordinator  sought out  a management system capable of improving our operational efficiency.

When we first started learning about all the various features associated with Assisted Rides, it became quickly evident that its suite of features would allow us  to streamline the operational  aspects of our transportation program . Not only are we able to schedule rides in just moments, but the system also automatically calculates distances, keeps track of each client “Favorite Destinations” and maintains driver compliance records.

Additionally, we were pleased to discover that the platform has grown into more than a ride scheduling tool.  Age- Friendly Saco  had been maintaining a separate data base to track the activities of Age-Friendly Saco, but we quickly recognized that the value of our Assisted Rides  software could go far beyond just helping coordinate and schedule rides but could become our primary data repository for all our Age-Friendly Saco activities.

Age-Friendly Saco has benefited by being able to capture many different data points and use this information to help provide information necessary for grant writing, advocate for funds with local decision-makers and provide important feedback to our volunteer team.  In addition to this we have used AR is to schedule route deliveries, be it for sand bucket deliveries , the delivery of meals and now for daily dynamic route scheduling for our new shared ride service, the Age-Friendly Saco Mobility shuttle.  Our Assisted Rides software also functions as our primary communication tool for our residents, as we can quickly send out e-mail blasts, conduct quick surveys and use AR to send out over 1,000  newsletters on a quarterly basis. In our AR database we have 1,975 contacts which includes our contacts, clients, and volunteers. 

The system creators offered us invaluable group and individual training sessions which are complemented by a library of recorded videos accessible on their website. We have enjoyed exceptional technical support with AR staff   who are ready to assist with troubleshooting glitches and answering queries. Over the course of a year, we've witnessed numerous upgrades and enhancements. As a result, we've benefited from the time-saving advantages and precise information retrieval capabilities afforded by this software program.

For more information, please visit Assistedrides.com