ERP Consultant Blog

ERP Consultant Reviews: Nonprofits Benefit from Adopting ERP Systems

Written by John Peace | Thu, Dec 19, 2013

In the private sector, ERP consultants help enterprise-level businesses deploy business intelligence tools to help them process massive amounts of data. Nonprofits also benefit from working with ERP consultants gaining increased visibility into sales and client activities, accounting and finance, etc…  An integrated ERP system helps turn data into into actionable and smart information. Any business that gains better insight into these operations becomes better equipped to make decisions for everything from current and future marketing strategies to refining internal structures and processes. As ERP software for nonprofits is finally coming of age, now may be the time for non-profits, municipalities and NGOs to start taking advantage of enterprise resource planning solutions within their organizations.

If you are a nonprofit and feel like you need a better handle on your operations and opportunities check out this case study from Microsoft that shows how Bancroft, a private school for children and adults with disabilities, manages growth and cut costs through the use of Microsoft Dynamics GP.

In this 51 second video you will hear from the CFO, the VP of IT, the ERP consultant, and the Accounting Manager of Bancroft to learn how switching to Microsoft Dynamics GP from an outdated stand-alone system benefited with the new integration and increased reporting capabilities. In addition, they were able to take advantage of this new Microsoft Dynamics GP ERP system quickly with the rapid implementation tools available to get up and running. Now Bancroft benefits from increased reporting and visibility of the state of their company to make intelligent decisions and find revenue opportunities to increase their bottom line with better reporting and integration to other systems.

 
Nonprofits serve numerous constituency groups, that may include donors, government agencies, strategic partners - not to mention the individuals their programs serve directly. Nonprofits are also regularly affected by changes to their operating environment such as new funding, tax reporting and regulatory requirements, and shifts in funding levels from year to year. And there are also internal challenges, too, such how to track data for new programs and initiatives the organization may be rolling out, or any restructuring that may take place. Growing needs can sometime overwhelm the organization’s ability to get the most out of their existing IT processes.

Many nonprofits have home-grown approaches for measuring and monitoring overall performance of fundraising campaigns. More often than not, this kind of broad reporting does not provide a robust, comprehensive, view of the data that might in turn reveal more about the donors themselves and their patterns of donation. Wouldn’t it be beneficial to have a more detailed understanding of the donor and his/her relationships with other donors? Understanding these relationship can eventually lead to repeated or ongoing donations and can inform how you move ahead with your campaign.

Managing a nonprofit requires complex business, financial, and reporting practices. In addition to meeting project, financial, and membership goals, nonprofits must manage the people and supporting systems that ensure detailed reporting and compliance with special government regulations. Plus, demonstrating the efficient use of donated and allocated resources is essential to future funding.

Our certified development partners create Microsoft Dynamics products and integrating applications to help you control finances better and to provide stakeholders access to timely reports. In addition, you can empower employees and streamline the process by using self-service applications for procurement, time management, and expense reporting. This means you can focus more on providing maximum value to your beneficiaries and less on time consuming internal tasks.

Contact us at Accountnet to learn how we can help nonprofits, regardless of their size, take advantage of ERP solutions. Our experienced and dedicated team of ERP consultants provide you with a free phone consultation and a no obligation review of your software to help you determine the right solution for your company. Drop us a note or give us a call at 212-244-9009 to get started.