How the right technology can help the social sector meet modern day challenges

Not-for-profit (NFP) organisations today face many challenges. Changing customer expectations and the need to retain qualified staff have to be juggled alongside budget constraints and the push for more efficient processes.
As such, technology has become essential for not-for-profit organisations, to help them compete in this customer-centric and service-driven environment. Traditionally, budget constraints and lack of funding have meant that this sector has not been as tech-focused as its for-profit counterparts. But not anymore.

In our digital world, enterprise-grade technology is available without a heavy up-front investment. And the NFP sector is discovering that the right technology, delivered and supported by the right partner, can enable them to meet customer needs, and focus on what they do best – delivering personalised care and service to those that need it most.

The need for change

There are several factors driving the social sector’s digital transformation – all linked by a need to better meet the challenges of the continually evolving landscape. These factors include:

• Changing expectations of customers and staff. We are all conditioned by our high-tech consumer experience and increasingly expect this type of interaction in our workplace and the organisations we deal with – including those looking after us or our community.
• The need to compete for attention. Not-for-profit organisations are facing increased competition for the attention of clients, potential staff and donors – both from new market entrants and existing players. In response, they recognise the need to create long-term strategies to stay ahead and often see technology as a key enabler of bringing these to life.
• Significant change to existing processes. Changes in funding models; such as the introduction of the government NDIS scheme, have placed a strain on the admin processes of many organisations in the NFP sector. There is an immediate need to do more with the same – or fewer – resources.
• The high cost of legacy systems. Ageing technology is costly both in terms of maintenance, upkeep, downtime and the lost opportunity to do more.
• Recognising the value of focusing on core activities. When managing these challenges, many organisations have strategically chosen to outsource non-core activities such as implementing and managing their IT systems – letting them focus on what they do best.

A snapshot of what’s possible with digital transformation

Nexon is the trusted IT partner for a number of not-for-profit organisations. The examples below provide only a small snapshot of what’s possible by engaging the right technology partner.

• Save costs and offer more services.
• Increase system performance and staff productivity.
• Transform to better meet external pressures – doing more with the same or fewer resources.

How we work with the not-for-profit sector

The not-for-profit organisations we work with are at various stages of their transformation journey. We help businesses no matter what stage they are at and build solutions that directly support the organisation’s vision and objectives.

However – across the various projects – we believe four things are vital for digital transformation:

• A solid foundation. Without sound network and security, digital transformation can be a real challenge.
• Visibility and control. Having visibility over your network enables you to make informed decisions and provide better user experiences. Understand your data usage and prioritise your applications in line with your business needs.
• Sharing the risk of IT investments. Our flexible pay-as-you-go delivery model allows you to access the latest technology and scale up and down with ease – often without a significant up-front investment.
• The ability to focus on what you do best. How can we help you better focus on your core activities? Day-to-day patching, desktop management, refreshing hardware, these helpdesk functions are just a few examples of activities we can manage for you.

Change management is the biggest challenge

Meeting those customer expectations means thinking differently. By working with the right technology partner, not-for-profits can concentrate on helping their customers, with new service innovations – and not on running their IT environment.

At Nexon, we focus on the customer and ultimately the end-user experience. The best technology means nothing if it is not used to its full potential. And a big part of any engagement is ensuring that the teams embrace the new ways of working. We do this by taking the time to understand the current processes, build profiles of different groups and implement a training and change management program that is tailored to their different needs.

Get in touch to continue the conversation.

It’s very challenging for non-profits to adopt digital technology on their own, and finding the right partner can also be a challenge.

Wherever you are in your transformation journey if you’re curious about how we might be able to help, get in touch.