Client Situation
A $50M non-profit serving the state of Washington struggled with multiple disconnected data systems. Attempting to manage volunteers, donors, grants, and finance as well as several large warehouses was draining valuable resources from the organization’s primary mission. The organization was also inhibited by outdated applications and lack of support for highly customized critical functions.
Solution
A E78 partner who previously owned a company specializing in ERP implementations, systems integration and business process development was engaged to assist the company with defining, implementing, and transitioning to a new ERP system with comprehensive capabilities. After interviewing staff in all functional areas of the company to determine gaps and requirements, an RFP was sent out to several vendors selected by the project team. Conducting the evaluation, demonstration and selection process, the E78 partner was then engaged in a second project to act as the internal project manager and champion, working with the vendor and the customer’s resources, to ensure goals, project scope, timelines and budgets were kept in line.
Results
The organization was able to:
- Properly identify the true business issues that needed to be resolved by the system change
- Identify and select a well-qualified implementation organization to work on this project as well as partner in the future on subsequent phases
- Ensure that the project stayed within (and ultimately below) budget while still accomplishing all areas within the project scope
- Lay the foundation for a flexible, modern platform on which to build future technology solutions for the organization’s ever-changing requirements