Penelope

Pros

Being able to read my staff input by generating a report whenever I need it.
Being able to pull reports to the tableau so I can see my numbers just like that.

Cons

Only being able to access from work computers with the VPN installed there. Would be great to be able to access from personal computers.

Pros

The versatility. It has a ton of user defined fields that can be setup in any combination that works for your agency. Billing is relatively simple and creating service units and activities is easy to do. Tech support has been very good over the years and the system is very rarely down. System outage issues just don't exist.

Cons

I would like to have a report writer system build into Penelope instead of using pivot tables to create customized reports.

Pros

it has a diary schedule linked to cart items. it's god if you only want Penelope to do one thing, ie, ATAPS service & payments

Cons

UI poor resulting in clunky data entry and more time spent entering data.
not mobile / tablet friendly
Reporting function does not provide dashboard, only reports in pdf or that you have to cut and past into Excel.
Case file / service file structure creates privacy issues - we may have to move away from this product on the basis of legal advice
Lack of technical support available in Australia

Pros

The ability to unite multiple programs with varying services is by far the best feature. This software allows us to track our families and the services they utilize, regardless of location and which program they attend. The ease of access to log into Penelope and the extensive help support (trainings, guides available on the website, and direct technical support) are additional key features Athena excels in.

Cons

In the beginning, it was a bit challenging to integrate this software with our current business processes. The inability to export data using Excel is the most challenging. Although there is an option to export data, it requires further training and time especially with merging pertinent identifying and service information.

Pros

I like the ease of reporting functionality. It is very easy for me to see how often our clients are being serviced & how they are progressing within our programs. I like being able to link records with family members so we can get a wholistic view of what is happening with more than one client in a family group. The technical support that has been given to us has been fantastic.

Cons

Penelope is more suited to a clinical environment. There are a number of features within Penelope that we do not use. Some screens are hard to navigate & has some functions that are not relevant to our program needs. In the beginning of the process members of the Penelope project team with MPREC had a teleconference with customer rep. This was a very long drawn out meeting & was one that all of us did not get any benefit out of. Please when introducing your product find a better person to try to sell the program. Her presentations were very monotone & quite boring. We found ourselves drifting away from the meeting.