Streamlining Coastal Preservation: Creatio's Platform Maximized Resources of Roatan Marine Park Conservation Non-Profit
Roatan Marine Park (RMP) is a non-profit organization dedicated to marine conservation on the island of Roatan, Honduras. RMP works to protect coral reefs, mangroves, and marine species through education, research, community development, and patrol programs. With limited resources to manage on-site conservation efforts and three administrative workers handling complex operations and multiple grants, RMP needed a system to improve efficiency and streamline operations.
Challenges
RMP needed flexible, user-friendly solutions that could grow with them and speed up the administrative work. Creatio's no-code platform provided the agility and freedom to maximize the system’s usability without using code. A key factor in the success of this implementation was the collaboration with Qnovate, a trusted Creatio integration partner.
Creatio's no-code flexibility enables us to build custom solutions that precisely match each client's unique requirements; efficiently and cost effectively”
Solutions
Grant Management and Expense Tracking:
- Purchase order system linked to specific grants and expense tracking for products and purchases against each grant
- Tracing overall grant budgets, remaining funds, and managing multiple grants per donor
- Master database capturing all grants from different donors
Time Tracking:
- Mapping resources and tracking time spent on different grants
- Assigning and tracking activities and to-do lists under specific grants
- Custom-built timesheet feature replacing the previous third-party solution
Reporting and Dashboards:
- KPI reporting on the homepage dashboard
- Visualizations of grant utilization and expenses
- Ability to drill down from overall grant status to specific purchase orders
Automated Workflows:
- Streamlined approval processes for purchase orders and expenses
- Email notifications for various approval stages
Mastering Grant Management with No-Code
RMP struggled with fragmented financial data spread across various spreadsheets and paper records. Preparing grant reports was a time-consuming process that required manually compiling information from multiple sources, increasing the risk of errors and inconsistencies.
The implementation of Creatio has transformed RMP's financial reporting process. With nearly 500 purchase orders now processed through the system, RMP has achieved a new level of financial clarity. Grant reporting, which once took days, can now be completed in hours. The organization can generate reports at the click of a button, providing accurate, up-to-date financial data for each grant. This improved visibility has been particularly valuable for their multi-year grants.
With Creatio, we've transformed our financial processes. We can now easily track approvals across multiple levels and have clear visibility over our financial processes, which is crucial for an organization managing multiple grants.”
Additionally, the purchase order system is particularly robust, allowing for detailed item and sub-item tracking. Each purchase order can include multiple articles and can have numerous sub-articles. These are all mapped to relate to the top parent, which is the purchase order tracking number. This hierarchical structure helps derive the overall value of a purchase order against a specific grant, ensuring accurate financial data.
Integrated Time Management that Revolutionizes Resource Allocation
Alongside expense tracking, Creatio enables Qnovate to introducea new time-tracking tool and replace RMP's third-party solution. This has enhanced the organization's ability to manage donor-funded initiatives by mapping resources and monitoring time allocation across various grants. It allows for assignment and tracking of activities and to-do lists under specific funded projects, as well as calculation of actual costs for hours spent on each grant. Additionally, it provides real-time insights into remaining funds and number of purchases, giving RMP an up-to-date view of their donor-provided financial resources.
Complementing these tools, the homepage dashboard now features KPI reporting, providing at-a-glance insights into the organization's financial health. Visualizations of grant utilization and expenses offer intuitive understanding of fund allocation, while the ability to drill down from overall grant status to specific purchase orders allows for detailed analysis.
Compliance at a Click
For a non-profit organization managing multiple grants, compliance is crucial. Creatio has significantly improved RMP's ability to meet audit requirements and maintain transparency in their financial processes. The system's comprehensive tracking of every expense and approval has streamlined the annual audit process, ensuring the organization consistently meets the stringent requirements of their funders.
Creatio's no-code platform provides a clear chain of approval for all financial transactions, from initial request to final authorization. This detailed logging of the financial process is easily retrievable, satisfying auditor requirements and giving funders confidence that their resources are being managed responsibly. The improved visibility has been particularly valuable for RMP's multi-year grants, allowing for better long-term financial planning and reporting.
Our admin team is tiny – there are only three of us juggling all the paperwork. We're always on the hunt for ways to keep things quick and simple. We've got to make every minute count to get all our work done.”
Automation that Reclaims Time for Protection
Prior to implementing Creatio, RMP staff spent a considerable portion of their week on administrative tasks, such as chasing approvals for purchase requests and verifying if they had been properly submitted. This manual process was prone to delays and errors, taking valuable time away from core conservation activities. The implementation of automated email notifications and a structured approval workflow has dramatically reduced the administrative burden on the team. Staff no longer need to manually follow up on purchase requests or spend time tracking down approvals. This streamlined process has freed up significant time and the reduction in administrative overhead has effectively increased the organization's capacity without adding staff.
Creatio has streamlined our authorization process significantly. Now we can easily track approvals across multiple levels - from the director to the accountant to the manager. It's given us clear visibility and control over our financial processes, which is crucial for an organization managing multiple grants.”
Building a Unified Donor Management
One of RMP's primary challenges was the lack of centralized donor and sponsor management. This made nurturing long-term relationships with supporters difficult. Although still in the early stages of implementation, RMP has now established a foundation for significant operational improvements. The organization is leveraging CRM Creatio to create a comprehensive donor database. This will integrate information on various types of donors and sponsors into one centralized platform, enhancing relationship management and fundraising efforts.
With Qnovate's support, RMP has harnessed Creatio's capabilities to develop a master repository of detailed donor information. The new solution offers a holistic view of supporter relationships, encompassing overall grant budgets, remaining funds for each grant, and historical data on past donations and projects. Through this comprehensive approach, RMP can better allocate its resources and strengthen connections with its supporters.
About Qnovate
Qnovate is a software consultancy focused on digital transformation initiatives and CRM optimization. Qnovate's goal is to help customers drive more efficiency by successfully utilizing their software mix for automation, departmental alignment, and streamlined services. The firm has supported customers with CRM adoption, training, customization, integration, and support.