OBC’s Apprenticeship Partnership

The Codence apprenticeship program is built to help organizations get the most out of their technology hires using a rare combination of low-risk hiring and high-reward outcomes. We recently spoke with our client, Oliver Behavioral Consulting, about their experience going through the program to get the expertise they needed leveraging Claris FileMaker and beyond.

Oliver Behavioral Consulting (OBC) is a team of Board-Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA), registered behavior technicians, speech-language pathologists, mental health specialists, and occupational therapists. They focus on providing assessment and intervention for individuals with delayed development skills and other diagnoses from birth to adulthood. Before joining the program, OBC experienced rapid-fire growth and went from 5-10 providers to nearly 60 within a short timeframe.

As a result, scheduling daily appointments became a not-so-fun game of who should go where out of their 18 available rooms. Needless to say, scheduling was a challenge. They resolved to work with Codence to help build a Claris FileMaker solution called Sidecar, a scheduling system that brought logic and organization to a bustling healthcare center.

Building Support for Change

As Patricia Oliver, the founder, worked closely with Codence, it became clear that her team needed more than just a tool: they needed someone to help manage and maintain Sidecar.

Oliver had tried to outsource the technology side of the problem in the past and didn’t love returning to that idea. The tools she’d tried were either immature (an unworkable Excel spreadsheet in one attempt) or too inflexible and an ill-fit for OBC’s needs.

“I was frustrated with trying to figure out how to support the scheduling needs of the practice… we don’t have an ‘IT department’, but outsourcing didn’t work either.”

Patricia Oliver, Founder

She could hire in-house, but she didn’t feel confident with her ability to identify the skills, expertise, or certifications that a new hire might need. She wanted to leave it to the experts. That’s when Oliver decided that a Codence Claris FileMaker Apprentice was the clear winner for the best next step.

“We said, ‘we’ve never done this, but why not try it?’ Scott at Codence shared what his apprentices had done for other organizations, and it was such an easy decision.”

Patricia Oliver, Founder

Taking the Risk Out of Hiring

“They saved me hours and hours of research, screening, and interviewing. In the end, I only had to talk to the best people for the job.”

Patricia Oliver, Founder

In fact, Codence did such a great job that they made the choice extremely difficult for OBC and were stymied by having to choose between two great individuals. Yet, in the end, they chose Truman Chang, a young and intrepid student who was eager to learn and loved to dream big. He had experience with 42 Silicon Valley,  a self-paced learning institution. 42 Silicon Valley teaches you how to be an insatiably curious and self-driven programmer, unafraid of failure.  Chang was passionate about growing and evolving his career.

Value Beyond Claris FileMaker

Chang started at OBC just as COVID-19 began to take its toll on workplaces and businesses. OBC shifted to supporting telehealth appointments and implemented Covid protocols. Truman worked remotely from California. The entire business, including technology agendas, had to shift, be put on hold, or differently focus.

With the hopes that things would turn around quickly, Chang trained with the Codence team to ensure he had the technological chops to support Sidecar. In addition to that training, he took ownership of other internal IT processes for which OBC didn’t have the resources. He managed the website, switched the files and staff from local files to cloud-based Office 365, migrated them to a new EMR system, and managed contracts for all the different services to enable productivity for new and veteran staff alike (phones, computers, emails).

Oliver appreciated Chang’s raw talent and ability to adapt to the demands of the pandemic. Likewise, she felt secure being supported by Codence. With OBC, Codence and Chang all working together, her team gained the benefits of an in-house person coupled with the experience and depth of an outside technology company.

“Knowing that Codence was behind the scenes with all the support was very reassuring. We trust them.”

Patricia Oliver, Founder

Supporting Diversity in Tech

Both Codence and OBC value different perspectives because to do so is reflective of the diverse populations of the cities they do business in. By taking various backgrounds, experiences, and points of view into account, OBC is better able to serve its market. And, with an organization rooted in compassion and positive outcomes, “different” really does mean better care for their patients. 

Replicating Success

Codence is excited to replicate OBC’s success and nurture more students through our apprenticeship program while building long-term, meaningful relationships with our clients. We look forward to many more opportunities to help our clients build up their teams to get the most out of their Claris FileMaker custom development investments.

Ready to sponsor your own apprentice? Learn more about our Claris FileMaker Apprenticeship Program here.