Embracing Sustainability for Long-Term Success: Leveraging Exponent Partners’ Success Offerings

In today’s fast-paced world, where technology races forward at an unprecedented pace, nonprofits grapple with a pressing challenge: balancing the demand to stay ahead of the technological curve with their fundamental mission of fostering impact in the lives of those they serve. Recent insights from the Salesforce Nonprofit Trends report shed light on this complex scenario. While a staggering 76% of nonprofits acknowledge the pivotal role of technology in their operations, a mere quarter report significant progress toward their sustainability targets. Additional insights show that businesses leveraging managed services experience a 63% increase in user adoption and a 55% improvement in productivity compared to those managing Salesforce internally. This combination of statistics underscores the critical imperative for organizations not only to embrace technology but also to consistently align it with their evolving needs and aspirations. This blog post delves into the essence of sustainability within the realm of nonprofit technology, exploring how our Success Center offerings are uniquely poised to support organizations in their quest for long-term, sustainable success.

Creating Value 

In today’s ever-evolving technological landscape, adaptability and innovation are essential. Over the last two decades of supporting nonprofits on their information systems journey, we’ve noticed a significant trend. Organizations embracing sustainability principles from the start not only navigate technology shifts but also experience increased user adoption, enhanced productivity, scalability, long-term cost efficiencies, and a culture of continuous improvement. These elements lay the foundation for sustained success. Hence, in our strategic approach to client support, we design services ensuring organizations thrive amidst technological evolution. Enter Support and Managed Services.

Support Services

From troubleshooting to expert guidance, we empower nonprofits to harness the full potential of their technology investments. Our Support services go beyond mere assistance; they encompass ongoing maintenance tailored to your organization’s system after the initial implementation. Designed to ensure the seamless operation and upkeep of your Salesforce system, our support package optimizes Salesforce for consistency and value, empowering your team to focus on driving impact while we take care of the technical details. Some benefits of our Support plan include:

• Tailored to Your Needs: Experience customized support plans tailored to your organization’s unique needs, system requirements, and desired pace of change.
• Expert Guidance: Benefit from expert guidance for bug fixes, third-party app assistance, user management, system enhancements, and release briefs.
• Ongoing Training: Empower your team with live training sessions, reducing reliance on a single in-house employee and fostering skill development.
• Hands-on Support: Receive unparalleled, hands-on support and maintenance that instills the confidence needed to create transformative value through Salesforce technology.

In addition, our annual Support package includes a kickoff call to align priorities, quarterly progress check-ins, and access to our comprehensive Support Portal for documentation. We also offer proactive release management planning to keep you informed about updates to Salesforce and Exponent Case Management products. Various services are available through the Client Portal, including:

• Troubleshooting
• Automation support
• System enhancements
• Custom reporting
• Third-party application assistance
• Customized training sessions
• Requirements gathering
• Estimation for new projects
• Assistance prioritization based on client needs and usage

Managed Services

When organizations are seeking a more strategic approach to technology management, our Managed Services offer a comprehensive solution. In today’s dynamic environment, proactive support is key to staying ahead of the curve. With Managed Services, nonprofits gain access to a dedicated team of experts who serve as strategic partners, guiding them through the complexities of technology adoption and evolution. From roadmap planning to system enhancements, our Managed Services are tailored to support our clients’ long-term sustainability and success, offering everything included in Support Services plus additional strategic guidance and benefits.

Ideal for large nonprofit organizations, our Managed Services offers access to a diverse team of experts in system administration, product management, and database management. Whether you need ongoing support or assistance with strategic planning, roadmapping, change management, or data governance, our collaborative approach ensures that you receive the right expertise tailored to your organization’s unique needs.

When to Choose Support versus Managed Services 

Selecting the right level of support can be a challenge for many organizations. To assist in this process, we’ve outlined scenarios where organizations might opt for Support Services over Managed Services, or vice versa, based on their specific needs and circumstances.

When Support Services Are a Better Fit

Support Services cater to organizations in various stages of their Salesforce journey, offering tailored assistance and ongoing maintenance to ensure smooth operations. Here are some situations where Support Services may be the ideal choice:

• You’ve recently completed your Salesforce implementation and need assistance maintaining your system, but you require more time to acclimate to your system before being ready to evolve further.
• Your organization has constrained budgets or limited resources, making it impractical to invest in long-term strategic partnerships, yet you still require support to optimize your Salesforce instance.
• You need support with training and onboarding your staff as they adapt to the new system, and you don’t want to make further enhancements before they’re acclimated
• You require immediate solutions for specific issues within Salesforce functionality but aren’t prepared for a proactive partnership as Managed Services does require your active involvement. We’ll need to collaborate closely, including regular meetings and feedback sessions.

When Managed Services Are a Better Fit

Managed Services offers a proactive approach to technology management, providing comprehensive solutions for organizations seeking long-term strategic partnerships or additional capacity to evolve their use of Salesforce. Here are some scenarios where Managed Services may be the ideal choice:

• Your organization is ready to transition from responsive support to a more proactive approach, seeking strategic guidance and ongoing support to align your Salesforce solution with your long-term vision and objectives.
• You require access to a dedicated team of experts in system administration, product management, and database management, to support your organization’s growth and ensure the successful evolution of your Salesforce instance.
• You’re a large nonprofit organization with complex Salesforce needs, seeking a collaborative partnership to drive high-impact results and achieve long-term sustainability. Some examples of these include custom code support, database integration, and intricate security models. 
• Your organization needs light advisory services to manage your information systems journey and maturity, such as strategic roadmapping, needs assessment, or logic model development.
• Your organization needs to develop a change management process that’s specific to your organization and staff

Conclusion

As technology continues to advance at a rapid pace, nonprofits must embrace sustainable solutions that empower them to adapt and thrive. At Exponent Partners, we’re committed to supporting our clients on their journey towards sustainable impact. Whether through our Support or Managed Services, we provide the expertise, guidance, and support needed to navigate the technological fast lane with confidence. Together, let’s harness the power of technology to drive meaningful change and create a brighter future for all.

For more information on how our Support and Managed Services can support your organization’s sustainability goals, visit our Success Center or schedule a consultation to determine which offering is right for your organization.