For over 80 years, Methodist Homes (MHA) has been a pillar of support for older people across the UK, offering vital services through its care homes, retirement living schemes, and community hubs. However, as MHA's services expanded, their reliance on outdated manual processes began to hinder organizational growth and progress.
As the organization started to recognize the need for a transformative solution, MHA embarked on a journey to streamline operations and better serve their communities through the adoption of scalable and configurable solutions that could grow together with the company.
The teams at MHA were struggling to keep up with hours of manual tasks. Everything from form filling to uploading data across numerous systems was manually handled. The company faced challenges in accurately tracking members and assessing their needs. The teams also needed to plan for appropriate activities, which also added to the high workload they faced.
"The support we offer across the country is constantly evolving in line with peoples' individual needs and those of their local community. But despite this, our teams were still relying on outdated manual, paper-based processes."
- Alison S., Head of Volunteering and Support Services, MHA
With the need to upgrade and scale their operations through digital transformation, MHA started to search for the right partner for a project of this amplitude. SugarCRM's flexibility, ease of use, and scope stood out as key factors. With the support of Provident CRM, a trusted SugarCRM partner, MHA was able to tailor the system to their specific needs. Mock-up solutions and scenario testing provided clear evidence of the potential impact, giving the team confidence in their decision.
The aspect that weighed the most in the decision to proceed with Sugar was the user-friendliness in driving adoption:
"One of the key considerations when choosing the SugarCRM platform was how intuitive the system is and the comprehensive resources and support available for what was a huge change management programme."
- Alison S., Head of Volunteering and Support Services, MHA
MHA's success in implementing SugarCRM can be attributed to the vendor's diligent and inclusive approach to adoption. Because the MHA team had varying levels of IT proficiency, they developed three distinct training packages tailored to different skill levels. By rolling out the system to a small number of schemes each week, they ensured that each team received the attention and support needed to succeed.
The creation of a CRM user group further reinforced the adoption process. This group acted as system champions which included colleagues from different regions. The groups addressed user queries and facilitated ongoing improvements. MHA also leveraged Sugar's online resource, SugarClub, to connect with other organizations.
MHA implemented an ongoing training program to sustain adoption momentum and ensure continued success. Part of the ongoing training and support scheme were weekly drop-in sessions, themed workshops, and recorded tutorials. These provided staff with opportunities to refine their skills and explore new features of the system. This commitment to continual learning not only boosted user confidence but also fostered a culture of collaboration and innovation.
SugarCRM's successful adoption has revolutionized MHA's operations. By introducing a digital membership management system for beneficiaries, MHA has achieved central oversight of members and activities. Today, all tasks can be tracked, actions monitored, and data analyzed with unprecedented clarity:
SugarCRM's successful adoption has motivated MHA to explore additional applications for the platform, including volunteering, incident reporting, and fundraising:
"With such positive feedback and success, we have already started to explore further areas where the platform could improve processes."
- Alison S., Head of Volunteering and Support Services, MHA
MHA's journey underscores the transformative power of technology when paired with a thoughtful adoption strategy. By prioritizing user engagement, tailored training, and continuous support, MHA has set a shining example of how organizations can embrace change to better serve their communities. The story of MHA and SugarCRM is not just about streamlining processes—it's about empowering people to make a meaningful difference in other's lives.
If you want to read more about MHA's successful adoption journey, you can read the full case study here.
