Whitelion supports disadvantaged young people throughout VIC, NSW, SA and WA. The organisation has gone through many evolutions since its inception in 1999, including, most recently, a digital transformation.
In 2018, new CEO Hang Vo initiated a strategic refocus which included identifying gaps in the IT environment which needed to be addressed to help the organisation succeed in its new direction.
Rowena Middlemiss, Director of Strategy, Marketing & Communications, told us that prior to this, “Like many not-for-profits, all of our money went into delivering the services not really into developing the systems.”
Internet and telephony networks were through different providers in each location, there was no view of the hardware they owned and whilst they knew there was room for improvement, there was no plan in place to upgrade systems.
“Part of our strategic refocus was to review our whole IT environment to see which systems an organisation like ours needed and to create a plan to implement them,” says Rowena.
The organisaton had a bespoke client management system (CMS) which was adequate, but more complicated than it needed to be. Importantly, it was reliant on a single software developer to maintain it, a risk that became a liability when the developer ceased supporting it.
With the CMS coming to the end of its life, Whitelion underwent a rigourous requirements gathering exercise to procure a new system, and the Infoxchange Group was selected as the preferred provider.
“What we got out of that initial conversation was just how much Infoxchange understood our sector. It wasn’t a sales pitch, it was more a case of ‘how can we help you get this system repaired within your limited budget? That partnership approach was true from the start,” says Rowena.
Infoxchange formed a project team with an internal staff member at Whitelion who took on a program management role to help design and roll out new client and case management system (called SRS). By the end of 2021, Whitelion will have all 30 of their programs being recorded and managed through the system.
Having a single source of truth for client data means they can now accurately record the work they are doing and the positive impact each program is having on young people. This is great for staff to be able to see the fruits of their labour, and also means the organisation can prove the value of the work it is doing, which in turn helps secure funding for future programs.
“The trust this creates in staff and in volunteers – that you are actually making an impact – it draws a clear line of sight between why we ask staff to record so much data and the impact their work is having.”
Whitelion has also migrated to cloud-based Microsoft Office 365, including Teams for communication and collaboration and Sharepoint for file sharing and knowledge management. When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit in March 2020, staff were not used to working with each other, or the young people they support, remotely. Rowena remembers a meeting where the leadership team gathered around a mobile phone on speakerphone and took it in turns to address the offices interstate.
From there, staff learned quickly how to use the technology, despite the steep learning curve. However, there are still challenges working remotely with young people who may not have the data, devices or space needed to do this effectively.
“Infoxchange are working with us through extraordinary times, and we have really valued their patience and how they have adapted to our needs and how we work. It really does feel like a proper partnership.”
The successful migration of the CMS has led to Whitelion partnering with the Infoxchange Group in an ongoing capacity to create a prioritised path towards a strengthened IT environment within budget. The strategy currently underway includes:
- Replacing the Intranet with Sharepoint to improve access to information, policies and procedures, which will be transformative for staff who find the current intranet a great source of frustration.
- Changing internet networks across all locations
- Data security planning and implementation.
- Helpdesk support.
“We have come so far from where we started. Technology was always an add-on, and through working with Infoxchange we’ve learnt that it can’t be considered an add-on anymore.”
Advice for other not-for-profits
We asked Rowena what advice she would share with other not-for-profits considering a review of their IT environment:
- Start with the reality of the situation, even if you’ve been putting it off, start with reality, which may be confronting.
- Understand that data is a non-negotiable part of running a community organisation. It’s a privilege to work with communities and it’s critical to be able to show how you are helping them.
- Having a good partner will help you form a strategy and break it down into realistic steps and priorities.
- Find a partner who is solutions-focused and really understands the constraints of working in a community organisation.