We wanted to share some of the ways that we have seen charities successfully overcome some of the challenges that can occur when moving to a new digital system.
Change brings challenge and company culture is part of how we meet and overcome it. That’s why a shared vision is the crucial first step as you begin the journey of going digital. But challenges are likely to arise and pre-empting some of them can be a valuable exercise. Charity Digital detail five reasons charity CRM projects can come into difficulty and here at Lamplight we’re continually inspired by how well our customers rise to the challenge of achieving lasting change and accomplishing successful digital transition.
According to a recent NCVO survey, 81% of charities changed how they use digital technology during the pandemic, and we experienced a sharp rise in the number of charities making the switch to digital with Lamplight at this time.
Perceiving the Benefits
Time is so valuable for charities but taking some time to come together as a team to clarify what you will achieve by introducing a new digital system is worthwhile. Communicating the benefits that purposeful recording and evaluation of data will have for your staff, your service users and the service at large is motivating and brings the team together through a shared understanding and focus.
Digital Readiness
Acknowledging the challenge of new digital ways of working and change in general can help a team to feel comfortable to seek support, ask questions and feel heard. Most organisations are made up of people with varying degrees of digital confidence and a culture of skill sharing and being able to ask for help is important for an inclusive and productive process.
Open Reflection
The opportunity to look carefully at the current systems and processes that you have in place for data management, positive and negative, is so valuable in moving forward. Thinking about and sharing precisely what you need to know, record and understand to evaluate and report effectively can lead to developments and improvements in your approach to data at large.
The Charity Commission COVID-19 survey of over 1900 charities lists ‘the most prevalent lesson that many charities highlight as a result of the pandemic is use of technology – many were forced to increase their use of online platforms such as Zoom due to restrictions, conducting much of their work with trustees, staff and beneficiaries remotely.’ Many of our customers, too, have listed the need to collaborate, communicate and manage their teams and services remotely as a leading goal in the implementation of Lamplight.
Here are our Top Tips for your ‘Going Digital’ Journey…
- Keep up good communication so that everyone understands the long term benefits
- Ask lots of questions so that the solutions you get are right for what you need
- Know that support is available and a collaborative approach is key
At Lamplight, we work collaboratively with our customers and a clear plan of action is at the foundation of the support we offer. This way our charities are empowered to see the bigger picture, to understand key milestones and to allocate enough time to accomplish each part of the process of moving to a new database.
What does the process involve?
Consultation
Building the System
Trialling and Evaluating
Training and Going Live
We’ve guided hundreds of charities through this process, and we prioritise understanding, inclusion, and accessibility in our approach so that our customers are well supported throughout. As one of our customers from Orb, a mental health and well-being community arts charity, described at the end of their implementation experience:
‘Implementing a cohesive CRM system always seemed like a huge job, and whilst going through the process of implementing Lamplight has indeed highlighted how complex this process can be, the staff at Lamplight made this both easy and a pleasure. It is great to be coming out the other side and starting to see how big a positive impact having the system will have on our organisation.’
If you’d like to hear more about how Lamplight can help you make the difference you want to make with safe, organised, and purposeful data then you can take the first step today by booking a demo & chatting to one of our friendly team. We look forward to hearing from you.