The Institute of Conservation are taking the next step in their digital journey.
The Institute of Conservation (Icon) are the lead voice for the conservation of cultural heritage in the UK. Maintaining strong connections and constantly improving the experience of their members is at the forefront of Icon’s mind.
Their current CRM system had been in place for some years and it was part of their digital plan to replace in the next few years. This plan was accelerated because their CRM partner announced that they were removing the support for their system shortly. Whilst this was not budgeted for in 2021, Icon revisited their plans and due to the strategic importance of this project, reprioritised this so that they could start immediately.
Whilst this was an unplanned project, it was a great catalyst for change. The simplest route would have been to just upgrade with their current supplier, but Icon decided to take a step back and fully assess their organisational needs, the market and what was available to them now.
‘We’re all about creating positive change. We want to be able to work closely with our members, ensuring any changes we make internally are benefiting the public, and our members and we see this as a positive step in improving services‘.
Simon Green – Business Director
Icon decided they needed a consultant to help with this process for two key reasons.
1 – To ensure that they got an independent and unbiased assessment on the marketplace which was 100% aligned with their organisational needs.
2 – They wanted to ensure that they had a dedicated resource aligned to this project, ensuring that the project moved forward rapidly and that that they got the right future-proofed solution.
Out of 5 companies interviewed Chrysalis Digital was successful in the bid and started working with Icon soon after.
‘Chrysalis Digital took on the project and we rapidly established we had made the right decision in employing an external consultant. Internally we did not have the deep knowledge of the market, or what was available to us. Ben ran thorough workshops across the organisation to ensure that he was able to create a detailed RFP based on the business requirements of the organisation.’
Simon Green – Business Director
The workshops highlighted both process changes that could be done quickly, as well as areas that would be improved once the new CRM was put in place. The CRM will be rolled out across the organisation ensuring that no silos of data are created, giving the Icon a single view on their members, invaluable for the whole team. It also highlighted to Icon the additional opportunities and potential cost savings if they upgraded their current website now rather than in the planned 2-3 years.
The project is well underway with a target date to launch early this year (2021), Icon has employed a project manager, recommended by Chrysalis Digital, to ensure that this is rolled out across the organisation and that all Icon employees are trained and fully active on the new system.
‘We have already seen the benefits of the dedicated project manager, without her focus, membership and technical knowledge we would have really come unstuck!’.
Simon Green – Business Director
Icon had not initially intended to make a complete change on CRM and website, but the benefits were clear once they had reviewed their business requirements and were able to see what was available to them and the benefits this could bring.
‘The opportunities open to us now are huge, from targeted communication to new avenues for fundraising. This was not the in our initial plan for 2021, but what better time to push ahead with these changes.’
Simon Green – Business Director
Chrysalis Digital provides a digital transformation service designed to help build a more agile, efficient and innovative organisation. With its broad cross-sector experience Chrysalis has helped many organisations map their digital path and through careful planning and assessment, choose the right technology partners. Chrysalis Digital is 100% agnostic when recommending CMS and CRM suppliers to its clients.
If you need any help with the next steps in your journey or just want some unbiased advice please call Ben Sturt on 07469 768990 or email info@chrysalisdigital.co.uk