Project Breakdown
SPARK Helps Rescue a Nonprofit's Fragile Microsoft Database
The Challenge
In 2020, Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes (KLF) built a Microsoft Dynamics 365 database with a software vendor to manage appointment scheduling and reporting across their several locations. But as KLF grew, their business rules became more and more complex in their database, making it difficult to make new updates as needed.
With hundreds of clients relying on KLF every day, the organization needed a software development partner who could untangle the legacy system without taking it down. KLF turned to SPARK to figure out what was already there, stabilize it, and make it easier for staff and volunteers to use.
PROJECT SIZE
- Medium
- Legacy Software Rescue
Timeline
- 6 – 12 Months
- Ongoing Partnership
team resources
- Project Manager
- Software Developers
- UX/UI Designers
kpiS
- Document Microsoft Dynamics 365 system
- Speed up Scheduling and Reporting
The Solution
Before adding a single new feature, the SPARK team spent the first several months documenting KLF’s Dynamics 365 schema from scratch and rebuilding a sandbox environment that mirrored production, so changes could be tested safely.
From there, SPARK tackled KLF’s biggest daily pain points:
- Fixed capacity and scheduling bugs, including overbooking issues and staff and volunteer permission conflicts
- Enabled volunteers to book advance appointments themselves, replacing a 12-step, staff-only process
- Turned a 27-step client lookup into a one-click report for volunteers at evening pantry sites
With the system now stabilized, SPARK and Kalamazoo Loaves and Fishes have since kicked off a project for building a brand new custom database, including online client self-scheduling and text appointment reminders.
Services provided
- Legacy software rescue
- schema documentation
- database support
- UX/UI Design
Technology used
- Microsoft Dynamics 365
Client Review
