It is a predominantly grant-funded organization that provides and array of programs, events and services focused on breaking down the barriers inhibiting people to attend college.  The staff draws from a wide range of talents and expertise to help students and families plan and prepare for the complicated process of college admission, financial aid and college transition.

Prior to this initiative, the organization had a public website and various other pieces of software that were used by the staff to run the business.  Over the years, they had accumulated a patchwork of solutions that were developed to help them operate more effectively.  While each of the tools was successful in fulfilling its intended purpose, the organization was running up against new challenges that could not be solved without drastic changes to their IT infrastructure.  None of the staff could access their data outside the office, and even then it required a database to pull the information.  There was also a lot of redundancy in the workflow processes that resulted from a lack of integration between the disparate systems.  If they hoped to grow and improve their business, they would need to overcome these challenges with the help of new technology.

We (digitalKnowledge) guided the organization through a "system unification" process that enabled them to bring all of their critical systems together under one umbrella.  The new system includes a single, consolidated database of business information, a web interface that provides universal access to all staff members and clients regardless of geographic location, a content management system that allows non-technical staff to update the public website, and a powerful reporting framework for the creation and delivery of professional reports and output documents.  Furthermore, all components of the new system sit on a common platform to simplify integration and maintainability.

As a result of the solution we crafted, employees now have universal access to business data.  They have experienced an increase in productivity and operational efficiency and have significantly improved communication with their clients.  With our help, the organization provides students, families, high schools and colleges with access and insight to information that was once almost impossible to compile and sift through.  With this new solution in place, the organization has increased membership size and ultimately the number of people who are able to attend college exponentially.  The organization plans to work with us in the near future to make this tool accessible to the public, further allowing any individual to determine the grants and financial aids they are eligible for on a federal, state and local level.