Category 1 of 12
When Systems Disagree
Every multi-system operator eventually sees the same organization described three different ways. The questions in this category start where most reporting projects stop: after the numbers disagree.
- Why do our senior living systems show different numbers?
Your systems show different numbers because each one records a different event, on a different schedule, under a different definition.
- Which number should we trust when our systems disagree?
Trust the number that has been given authority for the specific decision you are making, under a definition your organization has approved.
- What happens when two authoritative systems disagree?
When two authoritative systems disagree, each is usually authoritative for something different, and the disagreement shows where their authority ends.
- Who decides which number governs when senior living systems conflict?
The operator decides.
- How do operators determine which operating number is correct?
Operators determine the correct number by tying it to a decision.
- Can two different numbers both be technically correct?
Yes.
- Why does integrating systems not eliminate conflicting data?
Integration moves data between systems.
- What should happen when a dashboard disagrees with the underlying system?
Treat the disagreement as a lineage question.
- How should operators resolve conflicting operating information?
Resolve it in a fixed order.
- How do we know where an operating number came from?
You know where a number came from only if lineage was recorded when the number was created: which systems supplied the values, what definition and calculation were applied, what was changed, and who approved any determination.
One community, one day, three numbers
Clinical system
92 residents
Counts everyone admitted and not discharged, including a resident on hospital leave.
Accounting
90 residents
Counts billable resident days; the hospital leave and a same-day move-in are excluded until the period closes.
CRM
91 residents
Counts the signed move-in but has not yet received the move-out recorded on the floor.
- Which number governs?
- Operator Authority
- Governing Record
- SeniorCRE Intelligence
- Execution
Illustrative figures. Governance first. Intelligence second. Execution last.
None of these systems is malfunctioning. Each records a different event, on a different clock, under a different definition. The disagreement is information, not noise.