National Non-profit Organization Elevates Administrative Efficiency with Integrated Accounting and CRM Software Solution

CHALLENGES

Outdated Legacy Accounting and CRM Software, Hours Wasted on Data Entry and Lead Tracking

Before Cargas, the software environment used by WBENC consisted of legacy systems for accounting and customer relationship management (CRM). The software lacked the features and automation the organization needed to streamline its sales and accounting processes.

Pat Birmingham, WBENC information technology lead, explained the biggest challenge with the legacy CRM (which they had been using since around 2013) was that it was not effective for customer relationship management.

“The imported data initially imported had a lot of duplication,” she explained. “So we haven’t been able to fully utilize it to gain insights and create meaningful reports.”

According to Ryan Martin, senior accountant and accounting team lead, the legacy accounting system was also inefficient.

Overall, the solution was incapable of accommodating the growth goals for WBENC, so the organization began looking for an alternative.

SOLUTIONS

A Cloud-Based Integrated Solution With Robust Automation and Reporting Capabilities

WBENC knew they wanted to transition to Salesforce Sales Cloud and then zeroed in on Sage Intacct for accounting because the two software solutions work extremely well together with a pre-built integration. And so, they began their search for a supplier who knows both systems.

According to Birmingham, “We went through a very robust RFP process. And at the end of the day, Cargas was the vendor we chose because they checked the boxes to meet all of our needs. They had all of the capabilities and experience we needed. That’s a powerful statement because our first preference is to always utilize a WBENC-Certified woman-owned business.”WBENC signed on with Cargas in January 2023, and the Salesforce solution went live in November, followed by the Sage Intacct implementation and integration in December of that year.

Sage Intacct

All Core Financials modules, including:

• General Ledger
• Accounts Payable
• Accounts Receivable
• Cash Management
• Order Management
• Purchasing
• Invoicing & Billing
• Dimensions
• Dashboards & Reporting
• Customization Services

Salesforce Sales Cloud

• Lead, Opportunity, and Contact Management
• File Sync and Share
• Process Automation
• Reports and Dashboards
• Salesforce Shield
• Microsoft Outlook Integration
• Sage Intacct Advanced CRM Integration

“It makes my heart very, very happy that we have a solution that makes people’s lives easier and gives us the insights we need.” 

—Pat Birmingham, Information Technology Lead, WBENC

BENEFITS

Time Saved, Real-Time Data for Informed Decision-Making, the Flexibility Required for Growth

The new solution does everything better,” said Raney. “We have the same numbers in Salesforce and Sage Intacct, and it’s easy to reconcile accounts because the data matches.”

Martin added that overall, the system is faster and easier to use. The integration of Salesforce Sales Cloud with Sage Intacct means all customer billing data is in real-time and automatically tied into the accounting system, making the invoicing process faster.

In addition, he said one of the most significant advantages has been the increased efficiency in month-end closings.

“We are able to do our month-end closings faster than ever before—and we honestly just keep getting faster. Also, Sage Intacct allows us to build financial statements to look exactly the way we want them and to have them pull the specific data we want. That’s been a huge bonus.”

—Ryan Martin, Senior Accountant and Accounting Team Lead, WBENC

According to Raney, Salesforce Sales Cloud offers the flexibility and customization capabilities WBENC needs to grow. “We have much more information about companies and can add fields for all the things we want to track. Cargas has helped us build custom reports that we can send to our CEO.”

Birmingham, Martin, and Raney all expressed their appreciation for Cargas’s expertise and collaboration—calling out Jackee Hawkins, Drew Mousetis, and Toru Kawate for their efforts. They said the Cargas team figured out everything WBENC threw their way during the implementation.

“Cargas was truly a partner,” said Birmingham. “Saying something like that might sound cliche, but it’s not in this case. I would absolutely be a reference for Cargas — that should speak volumes.”

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