We’ve been in the process of updating our information technology systems over the past several months. Our new system—called Vinny’s Way, a nod to our Vincentian focus on helping those in need—allows us to securely store data and integrate it across our organization. Ultimately, this will enable us to better serve our neighbors as we have a more accurate, complete picture of how we’re interacting with them across our entire organization.
The new Vinny’s Way system is being built using the Salesforce nonprofit platform. Our efforts started with converting our donor tool to a cloud-based system called eTapestry and then migrating our financial accounting system to a cloud-based system called Sage INTAACT. Now, we’ve completed the next area: the pantry shopper check-in process.
The new pantry check-in was implemented about a month ago, and the transition has gone well.
“Our team of volunteers has adapted well to the new system,” says Bill Richardson, volunteer intake coordinator. “We’ve smoothed out the kinks and everyone made the transition without any major issues.”
Richardson says the new check-in process will make check-in quicker and ensure there’s accurate information captured about each shopper. Plus, when the Distribution Center and Home Visitor program move to Vinny’s Way, then there will be complete integration between every client touchpoint—and all with single representation in our database.
Next Steps
The following areas are next for Vinny’s Way:
- Volunteer management system
- Distribution Center management system
- Home Visitor process (under consideration)
- Voucher process for the Mission 27 Stores (under consideration)
If you have questions about Vinny’s Way, contact Paul Ainslie at painslie@svdpindy.org.
