Supporting a complex aged care transformation with independent advisory leadership
Just Better Care engaged Solution Minds Consulting (SMC) as an independent, client-side technology advisor to strengthen governance and delivery leadership across a complex, in-flight national systems rollout.
As Australia’s largest franchised provider of in-home aged care and disability support services, Just Better Care was deploying multiple integrated systems across its national franchise network. The organisation needed to accelerate the rollout while managing an already significant project workload, maintaining consistency across franchise locations and reducing implementation risk.
SMC introduced stronger governance, practical transformation leadership, improved delivery controls and a scalable rollout model. This helped Just Better Care successfully deliver the national rollout five months ahead of schedule while building greater confidence across leadership, project and franchise teams.
Project Snapshot
Client: Just Better Care
Industry: Health, Aged Care & Disability
Location: Australia, National
Project: National Multi-System Rollout
SMC Role: Independent, Client-Side Transformation Advisor
Services: Strategy & Roadmap, Plan & Implement, Review & Optimise
Outcome: National rollout delivered five months ahead of schedule, with up to five franchises going live on the same day.
The Challenge: Scaling a National Multi-System Rollout
Just Better Care had already commenced a complex multi-system rollout across its franchise network when delivery pressure began to intensify.
As deployment pace and volumes were under pressure to increase, the organisation faced several interconnected challenges:
- Scaling from single-site to concurrent multi-site deployments
- Reducing operational and compliance risk created by legacy systems
- Maintaining consistency of outcomes across diverse franchise environments
- Supporting teams through significant change
- Preparing the business for broader sector reform
Following a focused project pulse check, Just Better Care sought an independent and experienced advisor to help strengthen governance and help implement practical improvements to delivery and leadership of the national program.
About Just Better Care
Just Better Care is Australia’s largest franchised provider of in-home aged care and disability support services.
Part of the global Caring Brands International group, the organisation operates across 5 active territories nationally, delivering essential community care services through a decentralised but nationally aligned operating model.
This scale creates significant complexity when introducing new enterprise systems, requiring strong governance, meticulous testing, consistent rollout execution, robust change control processes with solution partners and careful stakeholder alignment.
SMC's Approach: Independent Transformation and Implementation Advisory
SMC was engaged as an independent, client-side advisor, providing senior transformation leadership across the national rollout.
Our role focused on:
- Strengthening governance and delivery control
- Reducing operational and implementation risk
- Advisory on business readiness and change adoption
- Equipping internal teams with new controls and a virtual centralised hyper-care approach to manage future deployments independently and within capacity
SMC supported Just Better Care’s leadership and project team in navigating complex delivery challenges while remaining vendor-neutral and focused on the organisation’s best interests and long-term transformation outcomes.
Our Approach
1. Strategy & Roadmap
A focused project pulse check clarified delivery risks, key priorities and critical decision points, giving leadership a clear understanding of what needed to change to scale successfully.
2. Plan & Implement
- Reset governance forums and decision cadence
- Centralised visibility across risks, issues and dependencies
- A scalable virtual go-live support model enabling up to five franchises to go live on the same day
3. Review & Optimise
Training and handover on business readiness assessments and knowledge transfer helped internal teams build capability and confidence for future rollout phases. SMC helped set up project controls relevant to business as usual (BAU) were successfully transitioned and adopted to strengthen BAU governance post go live.
Across all phases, SMC considered six integrated workstreams: People, Process, Technology, Data, AI and Transformation Leadership.
This engagement was delivered under an earlier version of SMC’s Digital Transformation Model. Activities previously described as “Analyse & Blueprint” now align to Strategy & Roadmap. The terminology has evolved, but the scope and outcomes remain unchanged.
Outcomes: National Rollout Delivered 5 Months Early
With clearer governance and stronger delivery controls in place, Just Better Care was able to accelerate its national rollout while maintaining consistency and quality across participating franchise offices.
- Delivered the national multi-system rollout five months ahead of schedule
- Successful system go-lives across franchise locations
- Transition off legacy systems, manual workarounds and an associated reduction in operational risk
- Improved reporting and decision-making capability
- Stronger adoption confidence across leadership and franchise teams
- Greater internal readiness to support future transformation initiatives
- Freed up internal resources to prepare for the aged care reforms
Most importantly, Just Better Care established a more structured and scalable approach to delivering complex change across its national network.
Frequently Asked Questions
Scaling from single-site to concurrent deployments introduces complexity across governance, consistency, and delivery capacity. In this case, Just Better Care needed to accelerate rollout while managing legacy system risk and maintaining alignment across a national franchise network.
Typically when delivery pressure increases, risks become less visible, or internal teams are stretched beyond capacity. SMC is often engaged mid-program to stabilise delivery and strengthen governance without disrupting momentum.
SMC applies a structured, vendor-neutral approach to assess program health, reset governance, and introduce scalable delivery frameworks. This allows organisations to regain control and continue progressing with confidence.
Vendor-neutral advisory ensures decisions are aligned to business outcomes, not vendor agendas. This is particularly important across ERP, payroll, workforce management, and CRM programs where commercial and delivery risks are high.
Clear decision-making structures, defined accountability, consistent reporting, and full visibility across risks and dependencies. SMC typically establishes governance cadence and controls to improve oversight and execution.
Risk is reduced through structured planning, stakeholder alignment, and early identification of delivery issues. SMC also focuses on data readiness, change management, and business preparedness to ensure successful adoption.
Data readiness underpins reporting, compliance, and AI capability. Without clean, governed data, transformation outcomes are compromised. SMC embeds data and governance considerations across every phase of delivery.
A scalable, structured change approach is required. This includes consistent communication, training, and business readiness frameworks that can be applied across diverse locations and operating environments.
Organisations typically see accelerated rollout timelines, reduced reliance on legacy systems, improved reporting, and stronger confidence across leadership and operational teams. For Just Better Care, this meant delivering a national multi-system rollout five months ahead of schedule.
If delivery confidence is declining, timelines are slipping, or governance is unclear, it’s time for a structured health check. SMC helps organisations stabilise in-flight programs and reset for successful delivery.
"Working with SMC has been an absolute pleasure. The streamlined project management support enabled our team to manage a complex systems migration project, and supported the smooth implementation of new integrated systems across our network. I highly recommend SMC to any organisation undertaking a large-scale technology review and change project."
Alison Chandler
Chief Executive Officer, Just Better Care Australia during the program in 2024-2025
Positioned for Continued Transformation
With stronger governance, improved rollout discipline and increased internal capability, Just Better Care is now well positioned to continue modernising its systems environment and supporting future business transformation across its franchise network, including the shift to the new Aged Care Act and Support at Home program.