Frequently Asked Questions

Lightning Bolt was founded in 2002 and has been providing physician scheduling services since then. Our clients have been very happy with our offerings for almost a decade!

There are several products that provide an electronic medium to mimic what is often done by hand. The Lightning Bolt system provides that too (and makes it more efficient!). But what makes us different is that our software system computes an overall schedule/solution, replacing a lot of the hard work needed to generate a schedule by hand. We automate. This means that not only can you ask "Who is on call?" but also "Who shall be on call?". The introduction of Lightning Bolt Nsight makes this distinction more pronounced.

Lightning Bolt offers a Web-based application. There is nothing to install on your desktop, laptop, or any hand-held devices.

Every function available in the system is available on Mac, Windows and Linux platforms.

Efficiency gains vary depending on the complexity of the schedules. In general, our users see a 90% reduction in the time required to create and maintain schedules.

Certainly! Lightning Bolt offers a 90-day money-back guarantee. If the system does not provide the expected benefit within that timeframe, we will provide a refund unconditionally.

Here are a couple ways to get started:

We understand that scheduling rules and requirements are unique to each group. Since 2002, we have not run across two schedules that are exactly the same. To accommodate varying requirements, we've built a flexible system that can be configured and customized to your unique needs. For an analysis of what the system can do for your group, please call us at 1-866-678-3279. There is no cost for this analysis.

No, we schedule multi-disciplinary clinics, hospitals and universities with thousands of providers. We have fully automated the scheduling process for groups with as many as 150 doctors in one large schedule. There is no technical limit on the number of tasks/assignments or the number providers that can be scheduled in the system.

We can be involved as much or as little as you need or want us to. Certainly, we are involved at the beginning to help you get started and provide you with training. To get started, an application consultant would take your requirements and configure the system to produce schedules. Once configured, some of our users would prefer for us to maintain the system. Others would prefer to be more hands-on. Either way, unlimited professional services and technical support is provided as part of your subscription.

Your subscription to our web-based service would include professional services and technical support on how best to configure the system to produce the desired result. We are happy to help you make changes to your configuration of scheduling rules to create the best schedule possible but many of our end users prefer to do this on their own.

Yes, there are two ways to initialize the system with past information. One way is to load the actual past schedules into the system. There is no limit on how much past data you can load. The other (simpler) method is to load summaries in the form of tallies. These summaries can then be used by the system to produce new schedules based on historical data.

Yes, Lightning Bolt NSight has in-built functionality that can determine whether a schedule exists for the available staff with the requirements and rules that you specify. If it's impossible to meet all specified rules, the system can generate schedules that meet most of the rules based on your rule-ranking.

Your investment on the system is in the form of a monthly subscription fee, which is based on the number of individuals on the schedule, each counted as a license. The first-year monthly fee is different from the monthly fee for subsequent years as it includes the cost of the professional services, technical support, and training to provide you with the scheduling solution that you need. Please call our analysts at 1-866-678-3279 for a specific quote for your group.

The licenses you purchase are per seat. Hence, as a provider leaves and another joins as a replacement, there is no impact on pricing. However, if there is a net gain in the total number of individuals being scheduled, you would need to purchase additional licenses.

Yes, each client is assigned an application consultant who is familiar with the group's unique scheduling requirements and can help you with questions that are specific to your group. Please also see the FAQ on technical support hours below.

Lightning Bolt provides two types of support to our users:

1. Professional services that we render to analyze your requirements and help you configure the system with scheduling rules to create the best schedule possible. This service is provided by our application consultants who are available during business hours from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Pacific Time or by appointment.
2. General technical support on how to use the system. This is available via phone/e-mail during business hours or via e-mail 24hrs/day.

Lightning Bolt takes user data security very seriously. We store our clients' data on secure servers in data centers with 24x7 video surveillance cameras, bio-metric (palm scanning) access, and lockable cabinet access. As an added security measure, we also backup data across multiple geographical locations.

We use a variety of tools and development platforms to produce our software including the latest Web 2.0 and open-source technologies. We always try to find the best tool for the job!

No, the Lightning Bolt system only schedules providers and other staff.

Yes, the system has been designed with flexibility to schedule any kind of staff.

Yes, using our subscriptions feature, you can easily get your latest schedule on Google Calendar and have it automatically reflect any changes made since the schedule was generated.

Yes, using our subscriptions feature, you can easily get your latest schedule on Outlook and have it automatically reflect any changes made since the schedule was generated.

Sure, you can print out schedules from the system. You can even customize the view that's printed based on your specific needs.

Yes, using our subscriptions feature, you can easily get your latest schedule on any iOS (iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch) or Android device and have it automatically reflect any changes made since the schedule was generated.