Spinal Life’s digital overhaul helps improve the life of NDIS clients

At a time when not-for-profits are constantly asked to do more with less, the digital overhaul was an important focus for the organisation to modernise systems and ensure data flowed through the business.

A registered NDIS provider, Spinal Life Australia provides advocacy, specialist therapy, and support for people with a spinal cord injury or other physical disability. The organisation offers a variety of services including in-home care, physiotherapy, allied health and advocacy.

The organisation first partnered with TechnologyOne, Australia’s largest enterprise software provider, in 2007, knowing they needed a single source of truth for their clients’ and staff members’ data.

As a not-for-profit organisation, efficiency is key. Having already integrated its Customer Management System to TechnologyOne’s Enterprise Content Management solution, Spinal Life realised it needed to continue these upgrades to streamline processes, keep staff and client data safe and ensure the necessary information, including service plans for NDIS, quotes, signed contracts and more, were in an easy-to-access, central location for relevant team members.

When current Chief Commercial Officer, Natalie von Snarski, joined the organisation as a Financial Controller in 2016, she found preparing the annual budget was a time-consuming and resource-intensive process.

“We were doing our budgets manually using Excel spreadsheets. Because we have several locations and several lines of service, we had many and had to work to tie them all together. We were working from upwards of 100 of these just to do our budget for one year.”

“The nature of that process obviously left room for error. As a result, we had a very time consuming and resource-intensive process that produced results we did not have a lot of confidence in,” Ms von Snarski said.

As part of its digital transformation, Spinal Life implemented TechnologyOne’s Enterprise Budget Management module.

“We now have a more streamlined process and, importantly, one where we have confidence in the data. It’s gone from taking six weeks to prepare a budget to two and we have been able to put that time toward delivering on other goals,” Ms von Snarski said.

The solution also delivered broader benefits to the organisation, she says.

“At the time we were implementing this project we were also transitioning from a grant-based funding model to a commercial services model, with the NDIS. In that environment you really have to be able to identify the margin per hour of your services to continue to deliver them.

“Now answering questions like that is more simple for us. That’s helped to drive a more commercially aware culture within the organisation. We can ensure our margins are appropriate when we are bidding for new areas of work.

“Enterprise budgeting has been a really beneficial tool for the organisation. We better understand the financial drivers of our business, and to get down to the nitty gritty, to make better decisions for our staff and clients.”

Ed Chung, Chief Executive Officer of TechnologyOne spoke of the enormous benefit he’s seen working with not-for-profit organisations.

"Streamlining back-end operations using SaaS doesn't just make life easier for employees, it also means organisations like Spinal Life can focus on their core business – delivering support services and advocating for and empowering people with disability.

“We are so proud to work with organisations like Spinal Life Australia who are making a tangible difference in the lives of Australians.”

Read our customer story with Spinal Life Australia