CHALLENGE & BRIEF
A well-known government agency that supports the creative arts sector in New Zealand sought to replace their outdated Financial Management Information System (FMIS).
The agency plays a key role in elevating New Zealand productions on the global stage, and part of their work includes administering grants for various creative projects.
In 2019, the agency identified the need for a unified system that could integrate their FMIS with their existing Grants Management System. The previous setup required significant manual data transfer and reconciliation between the two systems, creating inefficiencies across multiple business processes.
SOLUTION
Walkerscott proposed a solution built on the Microsoft Dynamics 365 platform.
Business Central
Dynamics 365 Business Central as the new FMIS or ERP.
Klevr Grants
Klevr Grants is a grant management add-on application for Dynamics 365.
The unified Dynamics 365 solution architecture provided immediate benefits for this Government agency
- A common interface for all users, reducing complexity.
- Elimination of manual data transfers between systems.
- Integrity of business processes across organisational functions.
The FMIS and Grants Management solution were deployed on the same platform, ensuring native integration and eliminating manual processes.
Phased implementation of new grant management system, made for easier transition
The Government agency chose a phased implementation to ease the transition to the new grant management solution.
This allowed the existing external portal to remain active for a period. The agency’s public user base was gradually migrated to the new system and new grant application portal.
- Bonus additional features accessible after implementation:
- Power BI dashboards and reporting, offering a 360-degree view of customers, projects, and grants management.
- Enhanced data insights for better decision-making.
Though the primary focus was on Grants Management, CRM functionality was also made available via Klevr Grants, offering:
- Relationship Management
- Lead to Opportunity Management
- Case Management
RESULTS
The new solution provided immediate operational improvements for the agency:
- Streamlined Operations: A unified system with native integration removed manual data transfer and reduced reconciliation efforts between Finance System and Grants Management Solution.
- Improved Visibility: Power BI dashboards enabled better insights into customer and project data, giving stakeholders a complete overview.
- Phased Rollout Success: The phased implementation allowed a smooth transition for public users, reducing disruption.
CONCLUSION
By partnering with Walkerscott, the government agency responsible for supporting New Zealand’s creative arts sector successfully modernised their FMIS and integrated it with their Grants Management system. The Dynamics 365-based solution provided a unified platform, simplifying processes and improving data visibility. With the addition of CRM tools and Power BI insights, the agency is now better positioned to manage relationships, oversee projects, and elevate Kiwi productions on the global stage.
