Grant management software is the key to efficient funding management. Correctly integrating new software with your existing IT infrastructure maximises its value while minimising operational disruptions. But without thorough planning and using specialised tools for tasks like data migration, there are many potential pitfalls.
In this article, we’ll go over a few considerations for grant makers to keep in mind for a successful implementation of Flexigrant – our platform that streamlines the entire grant life cycle.
Assessing Your Current IT Environment
For any new tool to be successful, it’s necessary to assess your existing infrastructure to ensure it can integrate without disrupting workflows or causing performance bottlenecks.
Best Practise
Identify all existing systems involved with the grants management process and document any APIs and data exchange protocols in use. Other areas to review include data storage and management, user management, and security practices.
Legacy systems in particular may require special attention as older platforms may not have the same integration capabilities as more modern systems.
Planning for Integrations
Speaking of integrations, compatibility is key when choosing new online grant management software. Integrating the platforms you use to manage grants ensures that your data can flow freely between them, streamlining workflows, minimising the need for duplicate data entry, and reducing the likelihood of errors.
If you implement software that does not make compatibility a priority, you might find yourself incurring increased costs (for further development and customisation), and the implementation process would likely be prolonged.
Our APIs
Flexigrant comes with robust APIs and integration features designed to work with commonly used finance, accounting systems, CRM systems – and more. It also supports Single Sign-On (SSO).
Also, the Award Data API allows different systems to interact with Flexigrant, enabling seamless data exchange between Flexigrant and other software or tools you might be using.
Best Practice
When developing an implementation plan, create a prioritised list of integrations based on their importance to your grant management workflow. For each one, document the specific data points that need to be shared and the frequency of data exchange required.
Data Migration and Synchronisation
Data migration is a critical phase in the integration process. When transitioning from one system to another, misaligned data can cause operational issues – for example, inaccuracies could affect your grant tracking, reporting, and compliance efforts.
Data Migration Challenges
Data migration can be time consuming, especially when migrating large volumes of data or complex data structures, but with Flexigrant, it’s a breeze.
Format Inconsistencies
Different systems may use different data formats, which makes it necessary to transform data during migration. This can lead to compatibility issues and data loss if not managed properly. Our seamless data migration process ensure you won’t lose any valuable information, making your transition smooth and stress-free.
Data Mapping
Correctly mapping fields between the old and new systems can be complex, especially with custom fields.
Downtime Management
Minimising system downtime during the migration process is key. Planning migrations during off-peak hours can help reduce disruptions.
Security
Sensitive information must be handled properly during a migration to prevent its exposure. Encryption and secure transfer protocols are essential.
Data Validation
Post-migration validation is vital for ensuring the accuracy and integrity of the migrated data. This step involves comprehensive testing.
Best Practise: Use Migration Tools
Why choose Flexigrant? Because upgrading your grant management system should be a smooth journey, not a struggle.
User Training and Change Management
It’s crucial to plan for the human elements of integration as well as the technical. According to McKinsey, 72% of transformations fail due to resistance from employees (39%) and a lack of management support (33%).
Research by Prosci supports these findings, showing that a lack of awareness of the reason behind a change is one of the main causes of resistance, along with a lack of support from management. It also showed that change resistance is most common among middle management followed by front line staff.
Employees also need to be well-trained on the new system to maximise productivity and prevent mistakes.
Best Practice
Develop a comprehensive training and change management plan. This should include a communications plan for how to explain the benefits of the new system to different members of staff, relative to their roles.
Start with an initial onboarding session to get users comfortable with the basic functionalities of the system and from there, offer ongoing support and additional, role-based training sessions as needed.
Also consider training a group of ‘super users’ who can provide peer support and advocate for the new system.
Our grant management software comes with a range of resources including tutorials, support options and our grant management community. These will all guide users through the onboarding process, helping your team to become familiar with the new system quickly and effectively.
Monitoring and Optimisation
The integration process doesn’t end once the new software is up and running. To ensure that everything functions smoothly over time, continuous monitoring is essential. It allows you to identify and address any issues as they arise, improving system performance/find opportunities for fine-tuning, and ensure the system continues to meet your organisation’s changing needs.
Best Practice
Consider implementing the following monitoring and optimisation strategies:
- User feedback: Regularly collect feedback from users to identify pain points and areas for improvement.
- System health checks: Conduct periodic system health checks to ensure all integrations are functioning correctly.
- Usage analytics: Analyse system usage patterns to gain strategic insights enabling you to identify underused features or potential bottlenecks.
Summary: Best Practices for Grant Management Software Integration
To summarise, here are our tips on how to integrate new funding management software with your existing infrastructure:
- Audit your current IT environment: Evaluate the software, processes, and data flows that currently support your operations. Document any APIs in use and pay special attention to any legacy systems that will need integrating, as they may present challenges. This initial audit will lay the foundation for your implementation plan.
- Plan for integrations: Create a prioritised list of integrations and document the data exchanges that will need to occur. Our software offers strong API capabilities that simplify the process of integrating with existing platforms.
- Develop a data migration strategy: Plan your data migration carefully and use our data import tools to ensure accuracy.
- Implement user training and change management strategies: Provide your team with the knowledge and support they need to use the new system effectively and minimise change resistance.
- Monitor and optimise: Regularly monitor the integration and make any required adjustments to ensure the system is operating at peak efficiency.
Conclusion
A solid implementation plan for integrating a new grant management system is essential. It helps to ensure the continuity of your operations, prevents issues associated with data migration, and addresses the challenges of integrating with legacy software. With the best practices discussed above, you can avoid common pitfalls and get Flexigrant up and running in the smoothest way possible. Nonprofit organizations, government agencies and other funders in the UK and beyond use Flexigrant as their single cloud based solution for managing grant programs. To request a demo – or for any inquiries – contact us today.
