Awana Seamlessly Integrates Salesforce CRM with JD Edwards and Extends its Functionality on Force.com

Challenge

• Awana--a nonprofit Christian schooling program--wanted a cost-effective CRM system to streamline processes across its sales, marketing, and customer service groups.
• As a nonprofit with limited resources, the company required a flexible, hosted solution that would not siphon additional IT assets.
• The system had to integrate with its JD Edwards accounting system.

Solution

• Awana selected Salesforce CRM Unlimited Edition over Microsoft CRM, initially deploying it to 175 users in one month with email integration through Force.com's connect for Microsoft Outlook.
• A key differentiator was the potential to leverage salesforce.com’s Force.com platform for use across the entire organization.
• Salesforce.com Consulting consulted with Awana to gather requirements to map out an implementation strategy.
• Cast Iron—a salesforce.com integration partner—facilitated a seamless, bi-directional data link between Salesforce CRM and JD Edwards, with extensive custom objects that sync various data with relevancy.
• Salesforce CRM Unlimited Edition provided the company with advanced storage for its large inventory of product and sales data, along with unlimited marketing campaign capabilities and call scripting.
• Reports and dashboards track metrics such as opportunities forecasting, number of customers, and number of inquiries—providing an overview of ministry participation.
• The company made use of the Force.com API to create an online hiring application, which aids recruiting efforts.
• Awana is in the process of building a self-service portal that will empower customers to answer their own questions via a dynamic FAQ reference.
• Awana extended its initial CRM investment by downloading and installing AppExchange applications such as Nonprofitforce 1.0, Volunteer Management, and Recruiting.

Results

• In the Ministry Services Group, the company reports a significant decrease of labor deskwork and predicts increased efficiencies for the future.
• Time-saving benefits such as real-time reporting capabilities drive adoption among internal users.
• Extensive customizations and powerful integration with JD Edwards seamlessly weaves data into Salesforce CRM.
• Advanced forecasting capabilities related to inquiries on Awana programs will enable executives to easily identify opportunities and strategize accordingly.
• Salesforce CRM’s hosted architecture requires only a Web browser, eliminating the need for additional hardware and software investments.