Increased Productivity & Reduced Administration
Introduction
For state agencies, school systems, service providers, and nonprofit organizations across Indiana, maximizing efficiency and reducing costs are essential for sustaining and expanding vital services. Limited budgets and increasing demands require organizations to find innovative solutions that improve service delivery while minimizing administrative burdens. One such solution is Indiana Disability Resource FINDER, a platform that simplifies locating community-based, disability-related services and resources.
With daily administration by the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community (IIDC) at Indiana University and software development managed and funded by AWS Foundation, FINDER enhances efficiency, productivity, and cost-effectiveness for individuals, organizations, and the state. By reducing the time and effort required to locate and update essential service listings, FINDER helps agencies allocate resources more effectively and focus on direct service provision.
By removing both the manual labor requirement to maintain a resource directory and the need for a leased software platform, each organization stands to save an estimated total of $56,476 annually, enhancing overall efficiency and reducing operational expenses. Considering the number of school districts and service providers in the state of Indiana, this could result in millions of dollars saved across the Hoosier state.
To assess its impact, a consumer satisfaction survey was conducted targeting agency personnel and FINDER users. The survey evaluated FINDER’s effectiveness in streamlining service access, improving operational efficiency, and ultimately generating cost savings through increased productivity for organizations statewide. This case study highlights key findings from the survey, demonstrating the financial and operational benefits of using FINDER.
Director of Special Education
General Organizational Information
A Director of Special Education overseeing special education programs and devising methods for assessing and implementing such programs for a school district and ensuring teachers have the tools and skills needed.
Effectiveness of FINDER
“FINDER is an invaluable tool for our teams as we support families in identifying and accessing the right services and resources. FINDER is consistently referenced on Individualized Education Plan (IEP). It provides accurate, up-to-date information in an easy-to-navigate format. Additionally, it helps us discover free training opportunities and connect with other school districts for collaboration.”
Efficiency and Productivity Cost-Effectiveness
“As a free resource, FINDER offers a highly cost-effective solution for schools and teachers. We appreciate its ease of use, accuracy, and the convenience of having essential resources centralized in one place. FINDER saves valuable time, allowing educators to focus more time and energy on supporting students and families.”
Average salary: $80,000 plus benefits at 30% = $104,000
A 5% time savings per Special Education Director equates to $5,120 per year, allowing more time to support teachers and students. With at least one director in each of Indiana’s 359 school districts, FINDER estimates a total productivity savings of 37,336 hours or over $1.8 million.
High School Educator
General Organizational Information
A high school educator working with students aged 11th grade to 22, serving a diverse group of 39 students with varying disabilities.
Effectiveness of FINDER
“I recommend FINDER to all my students’ families. It provides a comprehensive platform to locate relevant services nearby, alleviating the burden of searching for resources independently.”
Efficiency and Productivity Cost-Effectiveness
“FINDER helps me find specific resources quickly, reducing the stress and workload for caregivers. It makes my job easier and allows families to access crucial support without unnecessary delays.”
Average salary: $52,000 plus benefits at 30% = $67,600
A 1% time savings per teacher per year equates to over 20 hours per year, allowing more time for supporting students and curriculum preparation. With an estimated 62,000+ full-time teachers across Indiana, FINDER estimates a total productivity savings of over 1.2 million hours or more than $40 million in value.
Indiana Family to Family
General Organizational Information
Indiana Family to Family provides information, training, and one-on-one support to families of children and youth with diverse health needs, empowering families to make informed decisions and advocate for better systems.
Effectiveness of FINDER
“FINDER allows us to filter a broad range of support services, events, and opportunities in one place. This significantly reduces the time spent searching for and organizing information for families.”
Efficiency and Productivity Cost-Effectiveness
“Using FINDER instead of multiple search engines has saved time, enabling our team to focus on understanding resources and providing context when assisting families.”
Average salary: $45,000 plus benefits at 30% = $58,500
A 25% time savings per navigator—whose core duty is locating programs and services—adds up to 520 hours annually, freeing more time to support families. With 11 navigators in this organization alone, FINDER estimates a total productivity gain of over 5,720 hours, valued at more than $160,875 for this nonprofit.
The Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities
General Organizational Information
The Council serves individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (ID/DD) and their families. Its work includes information referral, advocacy, capacity building, and systems change.
Effectiveness of FINDER
“We have integrated FINDER into our standard procedures when responding to constituent inquiries. It enables us to provide targeted information efficiently. While some users find navigation challenging, enhanced engagement may help identify gaps and improve usability.”
Efficiency and Productivity Cost-Effectiveness
“Instead of maintaining our own database, we use FINDER, which streamlines our workflow and is easy to link in communications.”
Average salary: $45,000 plus benefits at 30% = $58,500
The estimated annual software leasing fee is $20,000, plus a full-time data entry position at $36,000 to manage listings—totaling $56,000 in yearly savings, not including the additional productivity gains from using FINDER resources.
IPMG
General Organizational Information
IPMG provides case management for Hoosiers on various Medicaid waivers, serving over 14,000 individuals statewide.
Effectiveness of FINDER
“FINDER has made it much easier for our professionals to locate resources tailored to the needs of individuals and families. It is particularly useful in identifying resources beyond the personal knowledge of employees.”
Efficiency and Productivity Cost-Effectiveness
“FINDER has reduced the amount of time our employees spend searching for and identifying appropriate resources, allowing them to focus on other essential aspects of their work.”
Average salary: $48,000 plus benefits at 30% = $62,400
A 15% time savings per case manager— locating programs and services for clients—adds up to 312 hours each annually. With over 350 IPMG case managers, FINDER estimates a total productivity gain of over 109,200 hours, valued at $3.2 million.
Stone Belt Center
General Organizational Information
Stone Belt Center, located in Bloomington, Indiana, supports individuals with developmental disabilities and their families by promoting self-determination and community participation through services such as residential support, employment assistance, and behavioral management.
Effectiveness of FINDER
“As an employment consultant, I refer people to FINDER all the time when looking for resources. It is also a valuable tool for the Service Navigator to assist individuals with questions about disability-related services in Indiana.”
Efficiency and Productivity Cost-Effectiveness
“Resources allocated to assisting individuals with disabilities to find services ultimately benefit everyone. Vocational rehabilitation expects employment consultants to refer people to long-term disability support services, whether through centers for independent living or other organizations. FINDER facilitates this process efficiently.”
Average salary: $48,937 plus benefits at 30% = $63,618
A 15% time savings per employment consultant— locating programs and services for clients—adds a productivity gain of up to 312 hours each annually, valued at $9,542 per consultant.
The League
General Organizational Information
The League serves individuals with disabilities from age three across 15 counties in Northeast Indiana. Their Benefits Enrollment Center supports Medicare recipients statewide, assisting approximately 600 consumers annually and handling over 10,000 information and referral contacts.
Effectiveness of FINDER
“The FINDER resource site is an invaluable tool. While our staff has extensive experience and knowledge of local resources, FINDER enables us to quickly locate support for unique situations or unfamiliar areas. Its easily searchable and user-friendly format saves significant time and effort.”
Efficiency and Productivity Cost-Effectiveness
“I cannot provide a dollar amount, but FINDER drastically reduces staff hours spent searching for services. It helps narrow search scopes and identify the most relevant organizations, eliminating the inefficiencies of navigating multiple individual sites.”
Average salary: $43,252 plus benefits at 30% = $56,227
A 10% time savings per referral per year equates to total productivity savings of over 200 hours or $5,622 in value per staff member per year.
Conclusion
The Indiana Disability Resource FINDER has proven to be an invaluable tool for individuals with disabilities, their families, and service providers. By streamlining the search for resources, FINDER enhances efficiency, reduces costs, and supports better service delivery. The feedback from users highlights its role in improving productivity and cost-effectiveness, demonstrating its ongoing impact on disability services in Indiana.
Per Person – Estimated Savings with Productivity Improvements
The table below shows estimated cost savings based on productivity improvements of 5%, 10%, and 15%. These calculations factor in both base salary and total compensation (including benefits at an estimated 30%).
Annually
| Productivity Increase | Hours Saved | Savings $43,250 (Base Salary) | Savings $52,000 (Base Salary) | Savings $56,225 (With Benefits) | Savings $80,000 (With Benefits) |
| 5% Improvement | 104 Hours | $2,161 | $2,600 | $2,811 | $4,000 |
| 10% Improvement | 208 Hours | $4,322 | $5,200 | $5,622 | $8,000 |
| 15% Improvement | 312 Hours | $6,483 | $7,800 | $8,433 | $12,000 |
These savings show the financial impact of increased productivity per employee, considering both salary and benefits. The actual savings vary depending on specific employee compensation structures and benefit plans.
Eliminating Manual Listing Maintenance
Many organizations link their website to FINDER. When an organization does not have to lease its own software platform and maintain listing content to support a resource directory, significant administrative costs are saved. The information below reflects basic data entry and verification.
Labor:
- Employee Salary (Base): $35,000
- Employee Salary with Benefits (30%): $45,500
- Hourly Rate (Including Benefits): $21.88
- Total Listings: 2,500
- Updates Per Year: Twice per listing
- Average Time Per Verification & Update: 20 minutes (1/3 hour)
- Total Hours Spent on Listings: 1,667 hours per year
- Total Cost of Maintaining Listings: $36,476
The organization could save approximately $36,476 per year in directory administrative expenses. This demonstrates the efficiency and financial benefit of using an automated system for managing listings.
Software Leasing Costs:
In addition to labor savings, organizations that no longer need to lease a dedicated software platform can realize further cost reductions.
- Annual Software Leasing Fee: $20,000 (estimate)
Total Savings from Eliminating Software and Manual Updates:
- $36,476 + $20,000 = $56,476 per year
By removing both the manual labor requirement to maintain a resource directory and the need for a leased software platform, each organization stands to save an estimated total of $56,476 annually, enhancing overall efficiency and reducing operational expenses. Considering the number of school districts and service providers in the state of Indiana, this could result in millions of dollars saved across the Hoosier state.