The Bridgespan Group is a nonprofit, working with nonprofits, that uses Microsoft Dynamics CRM in a non-traditional and very creative way. That means the less data entry the better.
The Bridgespan Group helps nonprofit and philanthropic leaders in the beneficial work of developing strategies and building organizations that inspire and accelerate social change.
For example, perhaps the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation want The Bridgespan Group to help them with leadership recruiting or assist in a special project.
The Bridgespan Group might say, "This executive over at xyz startup made a billion dollars and he's looking to find fulfillment in his life and help other organizations run a successful company. He will take a $1 dollar salary, and he's available.”
Or they could say, "Meals on Wheels, we can help you with a project that outlines the ROI of streamlining certain operations so you can save x amount of money and serve more people."
These are projects and each project has tasks that need to be aligned with certain project milestones. In addition, effective cost accounting is needed to forecast revenue and to make sure the project comes in on time and within budget.
For each project, The Bridgespan Group needs to track a few key data points. Each client projects has an estimated start date, an estimated end date and a project budget. Project revenue is typically spread across the length of the project,
However, the partners within The Bridgespan Group don’t have a lot of administrative time to enter and calculate information around client projects.
But they still need to track data. So how can that be simplified?
By adding the AbleBridge EditAble CRM Grid to their existing Microsoft Dynamics CRM system:
- They can quickly enter key data in a grid format, similar to Excel, without opening individual accounts.
- One a few key data points need to be entered and the client project automatically calculates total project revenue and it is spread over the timeline of the project.
- Revenue can be split automatically over a set number of months or it can be calculated manually if the client wants to pay varying amounts at different milestones of the project.
- At each change the totals are seen at the bottom of the grid in Dynamics CRM so the executives entering the project can tailor their timelines and revenue allocation in ways that makes the most sense for the client and the project.
In this way, The Bridgespan Group has an overview of potential revenue by month and by client project with very minimal data entry into Microsoft Dynamics CRM.
When a potential client project closes it is converted into project against the client account and it is booked revenue that can now be forecasted.
With the EditAble CRM Grid, Microsoft Dynamics CRM becomes like a powerful worksheet that can be viewed and updated by the entire team.
A once cumbersome and disjointed process has now become streamlined and organized within Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Providing visibility into client projects has given The Bridgespan Group the visibility they need to stay productive and make informed decisions
Do you want to reduce the administrative overhead of entering and viewing information in Microsoft Dynamics CRM? Learn more about the AbleBridge EditAble CRM Grid tool at http://www.ablebridge.com/add-on-solutions/editable-crm-grid/.
Contact AbleBridge to learn more.
By AbleBridge, Massachusetts Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partner, www.ablebridge.com
Twitter: @AbleBridge
The post How a Busy Nonprofit Simplifies Data Entry in Microsoft Dynamics CRM appeared first on CRM Software Blog.