On Wednesday 26th June 2019, m-hance was thrilled to host an event in partnership with Microsoft which focused solely on fundraising and finance Dynamics solutions for the charity sector. Based at the exclusive Microsoft Paddington offices, the stunning view of the London skyline really helped to set the tone for the day.
Our aim was to showcase our NfP365 suite of solutions, which are built within the framework of Microsoft Dynamics 365 and specifically tailored to the unique needs of charities. It was a great opportunity for the charity delegates to get an insight into a true Dynamics 365 end-to-end solution, from managing their donations through to controlling their purchasing.
View a video montage of some of the best bits from the day:
Tory Cassie (NfP Business Development, m-hance) kicked off the morning with an introduction to m-hance, highlighting how we are a Microsoft Gold Partner and have a wealth of experience working with charity customers – both large and small. Tory also introduced our NfP365 suite of solutions, including NfP365 Enterprise, NfP365 Foundation, NfP365 Help & Advice and NfP365 Finance – created to meet different needs within the sector.
Next, we were delighted to welcome both Ian Drew and Chris Huntingford from Microsoft to the stage. Their support at our event is testament to our ongoing relationship with Microsoft and our joint commitment to providing solutions to the charity sector.
Ian is situated within Microsoft’s Tech for Social Impact (TSI) team and explained that the initiative’s strategy focuses on four key elements for charities; digital transformation, digital inclusion, employee engagement and trust. Ian went on to explain how they have been investing in Artificial Intelligence with their AI for Good scheme, for example, the AI for Accessibility programme was created to accelerate the development of accessible and intelligent AI solutions to benefit the one billion-plus people with disabilities around the world.
Chris Huntingford (Partner Technology Architect, Microsoft) continued with the AI theme and focused on how AI is becoming more accessible for charities through the Microsoft Power Platform, AI Builder and Cognitive Services such as speech, where speech is converted into text and text into natural sounding speech.
James Glover (NfP Solutions Architect, m-hance) stepped up next to introduce the end-to-end Dynamics 365 solutions for charities. During his presentation James tracked the activities for a donor, from creating a new contact instantly using AI facial recognition and them making a pledge, through to the ability to create and send invoices and review its financial status.
Long-standing m-hance customer, Christian Aid, has worked closely with the team for some time now, and so we were thrilled that Mark Abbott (Business & Operations Manager, Christian Aid) took the time to join us on the day to present an update on the implementation of their CRM project. Mark discussed the reasons behind the project and some of the benefits they have started seeing following the launch of phase 1 in May 2018, including a huge 300% increase in the number of activities being logged in their Dynamics system, highlighting how greatly their processes have improved.
After a short break, the breakout sessions began in separate rooms – one focusing on our CRM solution and the other on our Finance solution. The packed CRM room saw James Glover and Tory Cassie team up to showcase some of the fantastic functionality within the NfP365 solution. Following an overview of the platform, James and Tory dived into some more specific areas including volunteering, event management, income processing, case management and grant management. They then finished off the session by looking at PowerApps, Flow and PowerBI reporting.
Over in the Finance session, Steven MacDonald (Pre-Sales Consultant, m-hance), Gerard Dayman (Product Director, m-hance), Sunita Chandnani (Product Manager, m-hance) and Daniel Booth (Product Manager, m-hance) discussed the extensive functionality within Dynamics 365 Business Central and NfP365 Finance. Daniel kicked off the session with the challenges facing charity finance teams, Steve then introduced Dynamics 365 Business Central. Gerard was up next looking at bank transactions and reconciliations and how the finance solution integrates with CRM. Sunita then focused on Partial VAT and how our solution can help charities to recover this easily. Daniel addressed how the Power BI reporting pack can transform the way charities report, then Steven concluded the session with a product roadmap outlining the functionality users can expect to see in the future.
Following the breakout sessions, lunch was provided which gave delegates the opportunity to meet and speak with the m-hance team and the rest of our speakers.
David Mannion (Sales & Marketing Director, m-hance) stated “The event was a tremendous success and we were thrilled with how many engaged organisations from across the charity sector were in attendance. It was great to see charities, m-hance and Microsoft altogether in one room, discussing how Dynamics solutions can address some of the challenges the sector is facing and to see some of the exciting future technological developments coming through.”
To chat to us about our NfP365 suite of solutions, contact our team today.