Why an International Non-Profit Relief Organization Chose Microsoft Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management and Finance to Provide Services Quickly and Protect Funding
When you consider what we’ve seen all over the world just over the past few months—from pandemics to record-breaking weather events to emergency evacuations, you realize how much we all depend on emergency relief organizations during times of crisis. Regardless of what they provide or to whom they provide it, these organizations are built to act as quickly as possible to minimize pain and suffering.
What makes these organizations tick is the ability to act immediately while avoiding risk. If processes or systems cannot accommodate those needs, the risks increase—and not just the risk of not being able to provide services during critical times, but also the risk of losing precious funds. As with any non-profit, these organizations work with tight budgets and cannot afford to lose donations or grants.
The issue is that technology is not high on the list of considerations for many non-profits, often partly due to those same tight budgets, but also partly that it is not seen as an asset. Consider this assertion by Lars Gustavsson, Director of Emergency Response and Disaster Mitigation with World Vision International, published in FM Review:
“Very little capital (from any source) has been invested in the development and implementation of modern management information systems (MIS), information technology (IT) or logistics systems. Most NGOs lack modern ‘systems capacity’ in just about any category. Most NGOs have indeed also greatly undervalued the role of logistics, supply chain management and integrated systems support. This is an area that, if better valued by senior management, could have a significant financial return on investment.“
Case in Point: An international humanitarian organization takes control of the supply chain and financials
For nearly a century, this organization has been helping people around the world who have been impacted by humanitarian crises to survive and recover. The efficient functioning of their supply chain and internal financial system is vital to their ability to deliver on their mission.
While the organization had effective, efficient processes in place—as evidenced by decades of success—90 percent of those processes were manual, and outdated, disconnected systems didn’t help with big challenges like limited visibility, traceability, controls, and allowances. With a widely distributed organization—most of the purchasing, for example, is done overseas, away from the organization’s US headquarters—these limitations could cause big problems, most notably:
On top of all that, the organization has grown exponentially in recent years and had set goals for their 100th anniversary, so it was time to look for a system with both the supply chain and finance capabilities the organization needed on a global level.
The solution: Microsoft Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management and Finance for Non-Profits
After looking at several non-profit supply chain management and finance software solutions, including NetSuite, the organization decided to go with Microsoft, who recommended HSO to address the big issues:
HSO’s non-profit supply chain management and finance solutions leverage the power of Microsoft Dynamics 365 to help you advance your mission: a connected, flexible platform that lets you decide on what you need based on your requirements, time frame, and budget now—but makes it easy to expand when the time is right.
Video: Advance Your Non-Profit's Mission with HSO and Microsoft
If you’re looking for a better solution for finance and accounting or supply chain management or both, learn more about HSO’s cloud software solutions for non-profits in this brief video
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