TSI was selected for several projects at The Archdiocese of Chicago.  First, TSI led the implementation of Blackbaud’s Luminate Online solution to satisfy their need for a contemporary online giving and e-communication management platform. Transforming Solutions was selected to manage this implementation to ensure on-time and on-budget delivery of the product.

TSI was also engaged to define and improve financial and gift receipt and reporting processes.  We leveraged our methodology that included program management, current state process mapping and analysis, future state process development, development of applicable policies, and change management. The outcome was a platform and a comprehensive set of online procedures related to online giving. This capability, in turn, helps the Archdiocese of Chicago better engage with constituents, strengthen its mission, and ultimately increase revenue.

Transforming Solutions worked closely with key stakeholders, C-level management, 3rd party vendors, and end-users to ensure a successful implementation. This included facilitating working sessions to map and review the current state of online giving-related processes, defining the ideal future state of these processes, and developing supporting documentation.  

Overall, the project successfully implemented a number of online giving forms with a seamless user experience, event registration, email functionality, and procedures over the course of 8 months. A data sync between the online giving platform and the database of record is also in place as part of the implementation, giving the Archdiocese more accurate and rapidly available data to drive strategic decisions and strengthen controls. Additionally, TSI conducted several ‘Voice of the Donor’ sessions that provided input of actual donors into the implementation of the technology.  

The implementation transformed the Archdiocesan ability to connect with donors via a digital platform.  Not only are donors able to give online but are also receiving more correspondence regarding the opportunity to engage further. While they were previously sending 5-6 messages per year, with Luminate Online the Archdiocese of Chicago was able to distribute 10 messages in just 3 months to just under a million donor contacts. This level of engagement generated excitement both outside and within the organization, building strong momentum for future phases of implementation.

Careful management of the project resulted in on time and under budget completion, a feat that had not been accomplished at the Archdiocese in recent memory. Furthermore, it was unknown at the time of completion, but the online functionality became instrumental in the management of the coronavirus crisis. Because of the success of the implementation, the Archdiocese was well-positioned to provide online giving functionality to parishes without such a solution. The result was an ability to continue to collect weekly contributions and special COVID-19 fund collections to support those in need.

Luminate Online has brought in over $9.4m across 60k transactions using 7 different online forms. 70 email blasts have been distributed, for 4.7m emails sent. Furthermore, the Archdiocese has added 210k contacts to the database, a 50% increase in contacts overall.

As the spring of 2020 saw the impact of covid-19 increase, the implementation of Luminate Online led to the recognition of the need for a mobile app-based engagement and online giving platform. Key to the success of this platform was ensuring that it would be easy to manage and provide the functionality to support the parishes’ effort to engage at a time when in-person worship was not possible. Using TSI’s vendor evaluation and selection process, Pushpay was identified as the preferred provider.

A successful pilot implementation effort was launched and completed in the fall of 2020. This tool has empowered and enabled the parish to connect and fund-raise in a way previously unavailable. Benefits included a centralized place for communication, a streamlined giving process, and improved process efficiency leveraging workflows and administrator dashboards and reporting. In just 3 and a half months of use, one parish has collected over $15,000 in online gifts alone.

This is just one illustration of how TSI not only ensures a successful technology implementation but also boosts the value of your investment.  

The post Developing and Implementing Next-Generation Processes and Technology appeared first on Transforming Solutions Inc..

Internet of things or IoT is massive. And businesses are making the most use of it. Business data operations are being recorded around the world and its making the storage of data quite easy. Anyone can use one of the best electronic design services or any other form of service and track it without every losing even a single MB of the data stored.

For anyone who is not sure what IoT is, essentially, the Internet of Things (IoT) is the network of physical objects—devices, vehicles, buildings and other items embedded with electronics, software, sensors, and network connectivity—that enables these objects to collect and exchange data.

Imagine, how doctors can better understand the impact of their treatments if wearable technologies (when authorized) can take real time information of a patient and monitors the patient’s health and activity. What if a workplace tool like a work glove or a chair that report a user’s weight/temp/activity level and possibly heart rate to personal fitness software, or for HR personnel to monitor employee well-being. But at the same time, a little mistake in the programming can make life-saving equipments go bonkers, which would in turn endanger the patient’s life. The same can be said just about any software there is, because errors are inevitable. An example is when Cutepdf is throwing a 216; this shows how the most simplest of the softwares like one mentioned exhibit and are made up of errors.

An interesting example I read about recently involved the possibility of your car communicating with a smart traffic grid, which in turn helps identify the best routes for your trip and maximizes traffic patterns for everyone else. Personally, this is an example of a use of IoT that I would be very interested in utilizing to maximize my commute and my trips into downtown Chicago.  However, the flipside of this is the concern of whether the smart grid or other device is recording personal data as they travel through the city, raising significant privacy concerns.

Below are what I feel are The Three Fundamentals Every Technology Leader Should Know regarding this growing technology trend, specific to the IoT:

     1. Connected devices can walk into your organization, and you will not know what data they are collecting. Google Glass was one of the first examples of what IoT can be, as well as the privacy and security concerns this technology brings.  Some organizations have already banned Google Glass from their facilities, and for good reason.  Hospitals, Schools, Theaters, Banks and other public and private organizations have legitimate concerns about the privacy of data and protection of copyrighted material from being recorded/analyzed by someone using this technology.  However, this is such new technology, that laws have not yet caught up and it is still to be determined if there is a legal basis for banning this technology in public areas, and what criminal charges can people face for using this in specific places, although the use of criminal attorneys from www.criminalattorneylongislandny.com/areas-served/long-island/legal-services/ could also help with this. I believe that someday we may see similar placards in public institutions similar to the Concealed Carry placards you see around for devices like Google Glass.

In the meantime, what can you do? Review your organization’s “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) policy to ensure it is up to date and considerate of connected devices.  The BYOD policy for your organization should define the acceptable use of personal technology, what available support will be available for personal devices, any reimbursement for the devices resulting in business use, the necessary security requirements and finally a statement of the person’s risks, liabilities and disclaimers for the use of personal technology. You can find several examples and templates online.  In fact, if you believe your staff needs some trainings on cyber security, schedule them for cyber security training for beginners.

     2. There is no “silver bullet” solution to manage privacy and data security with IOT devices. While a BYOD policy is a great start, it is very difficult for organizations to manage and enforce the policy without smart solutions that IT Leaders may be able to implement today. Technology leaders need to be aware of this ever-increasing security and privacy risk that employees are bringing into their organization. While there is not a single solution right now for a comprehensive IoT security application, there are steps organizations can take to protect the data and privacy of the organization and the people within it.

Here are five guidelines I have collected from several industry experts to help protect your organization that you can do today:

1. Create several points of unique user identification, authentication along with log off timers
2. Encrypt all of your data during any data transfer activities
3. Assess and control who has access to the data, including access to physical data storage devices
4. Implement a process of reviewing system activity logs
5. Rigorously evaluate the security capabilities/gaps with any new cloud solution being considered for your organization

     3. Finally, be aware of what technology developers are working toward when building IoT enabled devices. Edith Ramirez, Chairwoman of the FTC had the following recommendations regarding security in IoT devices her opening remarks at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas Nevada on January 6, 2015.

“Companies should prioritize security and build security into their devices from the outset. Specifically, companies should:

• Conduct a privacy or security risk assessment as part of the design process;
• Test security measures before products launch;
• Use smart defaults – such as requiring consumers to change default passwords in the set-up process;
• Consider encryption, particularly for the storage and transmission of sensitive information, such as health data; and
• Monitor products throughout their life cycle and, to the extent possible, patch known vulnerabilities.

In addition, companies should implement technical and administrative measures to ensure reasonable security, including designating people responsible for security in the organization, conducting security training for employees, and taking steps to ensure service providers protect consumer data.”

Chairwoman Ramirez made additional recommendations in her opening remarks to minimize the amount of data collected to only what is necessary and communicate to consumers any data collection changes along with the ability for consumers to choose what they want to have collected.  By collaborating with IOT device developers or reading the newest developments in this space, you can better understand what the risks and benefits are for implementing IOT devices in your organization.

The Internet of Things services are only going to expand and the potential benefits of this trend in technology may be immense and have tremendous benefit to society. However, security concerns need to be at the forefront of every IT and Technology leaders mind especially during this nascent time of experimentation, growth, and maturation within business and society. TSI has proven experience helping IT/Technology Leaders assessing their technology and defining an IT strategy while answering the questions “How prepared is our organization for upcoming technology trends, and what is our next step? Contact TSI today to discuss your technology strategy and assessment needs.

The post The Three Fundamentals Every Technology Leader needs to know about “The Internet of Things” (IoT) appeared first on Transforming Solutions Inc..

A few years ago, TSI was selected to assist Groupon who, at the time, was generating around $100-200 million in revenue, exclusively in “deal of the day” online offers to retailers.  However, their vision required that they go on an acquisition binge, broaden their service offering and take the company public.  TSI’s team was involved from those early days and fortunate to work with so many talented leaders at Groupon including John Bosshart, Joe DelPreto, Mark Hoyt, Brad Downes, Jeff Lole, Mark Stubler and many others.

Collaboratively with the senior leaders, TSI helped to develop the mantra of “Groupon Speed” and, as related to this project, developed a sense of results-orientation with the notion of “good now is better than perfect later”.  TSI defined Groupon’s forward-looking requirements, a short list of software vendors and ultimately, TSI selected NetSuite.

TSI’s talented project team helped to implement NetSuite ERP in Five Countries in Just Six Weeks; Twenty-Six Countries in Three Months.  During that time, we had incredible support by Zack Nelson, Jim McGeever and many others at NetSuite and our understanding is this remains as the fastest software selection and global implementation on record.

After that, TSI helped define the governance structure for NetSuite helping move toward a financial service center both regionally and globally.  This is just one example of the exciting clients we have a chance to work closely with.  Shown below is an excerpt from NetSuite’s SuiteWorld Annual Convention, featuring this project.

http://www.netsuite.com/portal/press/releases/nlpr05-10-11.shtml

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDztlcvEwYg

The post Groupon and NetSuite; Selecting the Right Technology for the Fastest Growing Company in History appeared first on Transforming Solutions Inc..

Cloud computing is changing how companies are doing business. At TSI, we make recommendations to our clients on how they can take advantage of cloud computing. This allows a virtual office and provides the flexibility of connecting to your business anywhere at any time. With the growing number of web enabled devices used today in business, access to your data is even easier.

I have focused on five main benefits of cloud computing for our clients:

1. Collaboration efficiency

Collaboration in a cloud environment gives your business the ability to communicate and easily share information outside of traditional methods. At TSI we use cloud collaboration when we work on projects at multiple locations, client sites, and home. Cloud collaboration allows for a more efficient way for our employees to collaborate seamlessly.

2. Business continuity

Cloud storage will protect your data and systems, which is an important part of business continuity planning. The providers of cloud applications have advanced strategies that take into account natural disasters, power failures, or other crisis to ensure that your data is backed up and protected in a secure and safe location. Cloud storage gives the ability to conduct business that minimizes downtime and loss of productivity. TSI leverages Google drive, which stores mission critical data in a safe and secure off-site location. You may come up with performance indicators by using business intelligence software for your clients.

3. Flexibility of business practices

Flexibility of cloud computing allows employees to be more flexible in their business practices. Employees need to access data from multiple offices, at home, commuting to and from work, and while traveling during business meetings. If you need to access data when you are off-site, you can connect to your virtual office quickly and easily.

4. Lower IT costs

Rather than learning and purchasing expensive equipment and systems to manage your business, you can lower your IT costs by using the resources of the cloud service provider. Cost of paying wages of expert staff, software upgrades, and lower utility costs will be reduced rather than providing these services at your company’s location.

One of our clients signed a software contract with their vendor on a Friday and by Monday morning development could start and 4 environments had already been established. Reduction of the time it takes to setup infrastructure can save several weeks to months in the project delivery cycle..

5. Scalability

Your company can scale IT environments based on the business evolution. Instead of purchasing and installing expensive applications, your cloud provider can handle this for your business. If there is a demand to increase or decrease you applications need for additional system performance, this can be performed more effectively to scale as your business changes. Using the cloud services will allow you to move forward on with executing your business and not worry about system applications.

I have worked with financial firms where their scalability needs can fluctuate due to market conditions. Leveraging cloud services has efficiently allowed the dynamic flexibility for their company to adjust IT scalability to be in alignment to their business needs.

If you want to tap into cloud computing and experience the benefits for your company, contact TSI for their expert experience.

The post Cloud Computing Changing Business appeared first on Transforming Solutions Inc..