Summary
Milestone provides residential care for people with developmental disabilities. The nonprofit was using an aging green screen system and needed an update to better run the business of serving its residents.
Situation
Milestone was using an outdated ERP system with a green screen interface. To compensate for their dated software, staff did lots of “out of system” processing (e.g., spreadsheets, duplicate data entry) to get the job done.
Information went in, but getting it out again was time consuming. Lack of visibility was a big issue, as staff couldn’t look back at reports to analyze information.
Over the years, Milestone made lots of system modifications to keep up with business demands. But the software didn’t adequately reflect their business anymore, and keeping it going was becoming increasingly expensive.
Milestone considered several systems and ultimately chose the NetSuite nonprofit package for its flexibility and business fit.
Strategy
Wipfli supported Milestone with customization and implementation. While NetSuite offers a nonprofit suite that integrates accounting, fundraising and constituent relationship management (CRM), Milestone needed modifications to fit their residential model.
For example, as part of Milestone’s services, they track and report individual finances for each resident — numbers that then roll up into the larger organizational account. Wipfli scripted new transaction types to make that possible. The Wipfli team also provided on-site assistance for data migration, training and launch support.
Results
With NetSuite, Milestone’s financials are now fully integrated, reducing duplicate entry and reconciliation. The close process is faster and more accurate, and overall the organization is better able to deliver on its mission with efficiency and stewardship.
Client profile
Milestone provides services for people with developmental disabilities. The nonprofit has 39 facilities, including group homes, specialized residential care, childcare, a sheltered workshop, a training center and a dental clinic.
