Soukup Strategic Solutions
“Preparing for Growth”
with beSlick
The Challenge
How to maintain high standards of service across new locations, when company handbooks went ‘unread’. Creating a turnkey business that is efficient and scalable.
The Outcome
Procedures are now embedded in a platform that everyone uses & enjoys every day to manage workflow. Cross-department collaboration is improved and business automation underway.
President Sheryl Soukup founded Soukup Strategic Solutions in 2012 to provide nonprofit organizations with expertise in fundraising and nonprofit management. In addition to their expert services, Soukup Strategic Solutions deliver the IMPACTability® online training and coaching program to help nonprofit leaders maximize their impact.
Founded: 2012
Company size: 20
Website: soukupstrategicsolutions.com
Industry: Nonprofit consulting services
Requirements
Consistency
“We wanted to create something that was turnkey … in every new location we could quickly and easily get started. That would require standardised processes, and it would require technology.”
Embed process
“Every time we would start to grow we would experience the same issues … things would fall through the cracks.
While we have a handbook, people wouldn’t read it and were making up ways of doing things instead of using the procedures we had created.”
Visibility
“We cannot miss grant deadlines. If you miss a deadline you could lose a client and damage the reputation of your company.”
Help to implement
““My biggest reservation was ‘can I get my team using this every day?’”
The Solution
“Initially we weren’t sure if we needed project management or business process management. We realised we definitely needed the latter; and in beSlick we found something that did both.”
With beSlick, they were able to meet all of their requirements – including ease of use, high standards of support, and flexibility to manage every aspect of their business, including projects, in one platform.
“We looked at [two large competitors] and our current [large CRM provider]. They were too complex, wouldn’t give us the support we needed, and weren’t the right fit for our company.”
In evaluating the platform, Soukup reviewed multiple sources including her network, online search and product review sites before deciding which platforms to demo and trial. With some providers, the option to discuss their requirements in detail wasn’t available – which made it hard for them to be serious contenders. As Sheryl describes, “If they’re not willing to talk to you during the sales process, it raised questions on how you’d be supported as a customer.”
“The willingness of your company to provide support, to get people using the technology every day, that was a hurdle, and the support your company has provided has allowed us to get that point. That was critical for us.”
beSlick worked closely with the Soukup team to train key members of staff on how to use the platform, and become champions into the rest of the business. Now everything is managed in beSlick including meeting actions, grant application processes, birthday & work anniversary reminders, employee hiring and onboarding – the entire business now uses beSlick daily to support its growth plans.
“My biggest reservation was ‘can I get my team using this every day?’
As we worked with the beSlick team, we knew that wouldn’t be an issue.
We can’t live without beSlick now.”
The Results
Streamlined working
Every process is now clear and concise. The team has visibility, whether they’re in the office or working remotely. If anything “falls through a crack,” they simply add to beSlick and it doesn’t happen again. Process improvements are immediately implemented.
“It’s more than just having a policy and procedure manual. It’s the ability to put timeframes so they know what is expected of them … to understand what their responsibility is compared to others in the process”
Improved onboarding
Staff training is now presented in a logical, efficient manner that is the actual process they are expected to follow. They no longer need to run through handbooks over and over again, leaving more time for coaching and development. This is now the proven training framework as they expand to new locations.
“We used to waste a lot of time repetitively going over things with new people, and we’d miss things. They [no longer] need someone to walk through every step … they can jump right in.”
Time to grow
As process has improved, Sheryl and the leadership team spend less time putting out fires, and more time focused on the growth of the company. The IMPACTability® training and coaching program is expanding, while their new website has also gone live.
“My attention has been freed up to focus on growth, I’m no longer putting out fires. I would 100% recommend beSlick to anyone.”
Leveraging automation
By mapping out each process it became easier to visualise where steps could be automated. In Soukup’s case, Sheryl has tasked each employee with the goal of reviewing one process each week for improvement. The result is more time saved, fewer repetitive tasks and less errors. That time can now be spent elsewhere on more profitable activities.
“Now we know where we have process difficulties and can refine, and look for areas to automate. Without beSlick, we couldn’t visualise where to make the efficiencies.”
Consulting Services
One unexpected outcome of their beSlick journey is the desire to bring their experiences to their IMPACTability® program, designed to help other nonprofits maximize their impact. Sheryl has identified that effective process will bring major benefits to their client’s operations, and intends to offer beSlick as a service they can implement for their clients.
One central library for 'how to do things'
Use the drag & drop process flowchart builder and embed video, docs & guidance to make things clear
Ensure everything
gets done
Execute as dynamic task checklists with automated notifications, dependent dates and owners for every step
Gain clear
progress visibility
View all task progress, what is on track and what is overdue, using summary dashboards or detail reports
Collaborate on what needs doing
Communicate, @mention & resolve issues as a team (even Guests), keeping a record of everything discussed
Save time with integration
Integrate & automate with over 2,000 applications including your CRM, email & finance software
