Buurtzorg manages 800 smart debit cards with just one employee

Buurtzorg is an innovative healthcare organization that has been leading the way since 2006 in providing care through self-managing care teams. They excel at delivering community nursing services at various locations. The care teams determine their own approach and how they allocate their budgets. With Elari Cards, Buurtzorg now manages around 800 smart debit cards, handled by a single employee.

Buurtzorg also uses Elari for invoice processing. Read more in the success story about Buurtzorg and invoice processing.

What makes Buurtzorg’s approach unique is the absence of a strict hierarchy that dictates how the care teams operate. Although a coach or coordinator is, of course, available to answer questions, the care workers have the freedom to operate independently. This autonomy has proven successful in Buurtzorg’s work environment. Naturally, this does add an extra layer of complexity when implementing expense management software. Fortunately, the organizational structure does not pose a problem when implementing Elari.

Manual ledgers, cash, and cash discrepancies

“Before we started using Elari Cards, we used manual card ledgers,” explains administrative assistant Judith. “Care workers had to open a bank account in their own name for their team. Or they would have funds transferred to their personal account so they could withdraw cash to have it available at the locations. That way, the entire team could cover expenses as needed. This led to a lot of hassle and cash discrepancies. Receipts regularly went missing, and there was a lot of confusion about exactly what the expenses were for. With Elari, this process is much smoother. It saves a lot of work.”

Administrative assistant Brigitte had, coincidentally, already worked with employee debit cards at her previous employer. “Unfortunately, that process and the way the system was set up were very cumbersome. The employees themselves weren’t responsible for the transactions or receipts. Everything was checked and recorded centrally at the office. Half the time, the receipts went missing, and there was an ‘it’ll be fine’ mentality. That struck me as much more prone to errors than how we work now with Elari at Buurtzorg. Our approach is easier and more efficient.”

Care workers prefer Elari Cards to submitting expense claims

The care workers at Buurtzorg are so enthusiastic about the smart payment cards that they’re inspiring each other. Brigitte: “Some employees still submit expense claims. They can’t wait to start using Elari Cards. They’re taking the initiative themselves to request them from us.”

Judith adds: “Meanwhile, our care teams are working with the smart payment cards, and we’re expanding to provide them to coordinators as well. But we don’t just issue cards per team. We also issue them per person or per location, whichever works best. Our approach has grown organically this way because it works well for us.”

User-friendly and cashless process with smart payment cards

Working with Elari offers several benefits for on-site healthcare workers. “Staff members now take a photo of the receipt. They upload it, and that’s it,” says Judith. “Everything they’ve spent is neatly recorded in the card ledger. Receipts no longer get lost, and expenses are always transparent. It’s a more user-friendly process and also easier from a tax perspective. Thanks to Elari, we can even operate cashless. Cash discrepancies are now a thing of the past.” In addition, working with Elari is also convenient for the administrative staff. “The teams enter everything themselves, so for us it’s just a matter of checking whether they’ve posted everything correctly. That works really well.”

Brigitte: “Sometimes a card gets lost, but that just happens. Fortunately, Elari Cards can be quickly blocked and replaced. We help employees set up the Elari app again, and then they’re back on track. I always say, ‘You’re better off at the patient’s bedside than behind a computer.’ It’s no problem for us to provide support with technical issues. Sometimes someone has simply overlooked a button, or the app needs an update. It’s rarely complicated.”

“Elari and debit cards align perfectly with the way we work at Buurtzorg.”

Judith, Administrative Assistant at Buurtzorg

Flexible software, smart payment cards, and trust

Judith: “Elari has significantly reduced our workload thanks to automation. We now have 800 entities using a card (individuals, teams, and locations). I can manage this all on my own, with Brigitte as backup. That really illustrates just how user-friendly Elari is. The combination of flexible software and work processes based on trust works great. Elari and the payment cards align perfectly with the way we work at Buurtzorg.”

Buurtzorg tip: focus on exceptions

“Buurtzorg operates on the basis of trust, not micromanagement. That saves a lot of work and creates a pleasant work atmosphere,” Judith explains. “Imagine if you had to constantly check, team by team, whether they’re only buying things they really need, and at the right price, too. It’s impossible to do that for every block of cheese. We don’t want to deal with that much red tape.” So here’s Judith’s tip: focus on exceptions and deviations. “Thanks to Elari, we have a clear overview of this.”

Elari Cards for your self-managing care teams

Curious to see if Elari and smart debit cards align with your healthcare organization’s way of working? We’d love to talk with you during an online demo. That way, we can demonstrate the power of Elari live. We look forward to hearing from you.