Community Living

Community Living upgrades from Dynamics NAV to Dynamics 365 Business Central and moves to the cloud, while dropping no longer used legacy customizations.

Project at a glance

Community Living, a non-profit advocating for the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities, faced the challenge of outdated and fragmented systems that hindered their operational efficiency. With over 100 local associations and 12,000 members, they needed a unified, modern solution.

360 Visibility partnered with Community Living London and Community Living Thunder Bay to upgrade their systems to Dynamics GP and migrate to Dynamics 365 Business Central, respectively. This collaboration resulted in streamlined financial management, enhanced operational efficiency, and a responsive partnership that supported their mission.

50%

By upgrading to the latest version of Dynamics GP and implementing Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), Community Living London reduced their financial processing time by 50%, allowing them to allocate more resources to their advocacy efforts.

25%

Through the migration to Dynamics 365 Business Central, Community Living Thunder Bay experienced a 25% increase in operational efficiency, thanks to the removal of unneeded customizations and the adoption of advanced, cloud-based functionalities.

The Tools

Products and services implemented

Service

Business Impact Assessment

Service

Dynamics NAV Upgrade

Implementation

Dynamics 365 Business Central

Add-on

360 Canadian EFT for Business Central

The Challenge

Overcoming System Fragmentation to Empower Mission-Driven Non-Profits

Community Living London and Community Living Thunder Bay, as part of the larger Community Living Ontario network, faced significant challenges with outdated and fragmented systems. The lack of a unified platform made it difficult for these organizations to manage their financial operations, donor relationships, and overall administrative tasks efficiently. With over 12,000 members and a commitment to advocating for people with intellectual disabilities, it was crucial for these non-profits to have a robust, integrated solution that could keep up with their evolving needs.

The existing on-premises systems not only hampered their efficiency but also posed a risk to data integrity and security. Community Living London struggled with an outdated version of Dynamics GP, which lacked modern functionalities like Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) and automated invoicing. Meanwhile, Community Living Thunder Bay’s on-premises Dynamics NAV system had accumulated unnecessary customizations that were no longer needed, further complicating their operations. Both organizations recognized the urgent need to modernize their systems to continue fulfilling their mission effectively.

"360 Visibility’s knowledge and expertise of Dynamics has evolved our Organization from an on-premise network to a cloud-based solution. They provide friendly service and do not push their customers on any unwanted or unnecessary add-ons."

Michael Duncan

Director of Finance and Property - Community Living Thunder Bay

The Solution

A Unified, Cloud-Based Approach to Drive Operational Efficiency

360 Visibility stepped in as a trusted partner to address the unique challenges faced by Community Living London and Community Living Thunder Bay. For Community Living London, the solution involved upgrading their existing Dynamics GP system to the latest version, which included critical enhancements such as Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) for seamless payment processing and automated SOP invoicing with email notifications. This upgrade not only modernized their financial management but also improved accuracy and efficiency, allowing them to focus more on their advocacy efforts.

For Community Living Thunder Bay, 360 Visibility’s approach was centered on migrating from their outdated on-premises Dynamics NAV system to the cloud-based Dynamics 365 Business Central. During this process, the team identified and removed unnecessary customizations, streamlining the system and leveraging the advanced functionalities of Business Central. This migration provided Thunder Bay with a responsive, always up-to-date platform that integrated seamlessly with other Microsoft solutions, empowering them to manage their operations more effectively and with greater transparency.

The Results

Transforming Non-Profit Operations with Modernized, Cloud-Based Solutions

1

Modernized Financial Management:

Community Living London now benefits from a smarter, simpler business management system that has significantly reduced financial processing time and improved overall accuracy.

2

Streamlined Operations:

By migrating to Dynamics 365 Business Central, Community Living Thunder Bay eliminated unnecessary customizations, resulting in a more efficient and effective operational workflow.

3

Enhanced Data Security and Integrity:

With cloud-based Dynamics 365 Business Central, Community Living Thunder Bay now enjoys enhanced data security, with automatic updates ensuring that their systems are always up-to-date.

4

Improved Donor and Member Management:

Both organizations can now manage donor relationships, member information, and volunteer coordination more effectively through integrated dashboards, helping them to better serve their communities.

"At 360 Visibility, we understand the unique challenges non-profits face in balancing their mission with operational demands. Our goal is to provide tailored solutions that not only meet their current needs but also position them for long-term success and sustainability."