Introduction
The University City District (UCD) was established in 1997 through a collaboration between prestigious anchor institutions, small businesses, and residents to enhance economic prosperity and the standard of living in University City, Philadelphia. As a non-profit organization in West Philadelphia, its core objective is to revitalize the community by focusing on economic and workforce development within the University District of Philadelphia. Some of their main initiatives include workforce training, transforming public spaces, maintaining clean and safe streets, local events, local CEO roundtables, and more.
The West Philadelphia Skills Initiative (WPSI) is an innovative program that aims to reduce the opportunity gap in Philadelphia. For the past decade, WPSI has established itself as one of the most successful workforce intermediaries in the nation by creating tailored talent solutions that bridge the gap between jobless Philadelphians desiring opportunities and employers seeking skilled workers. The program operates throughout the year, providing cohort-based, job-oriented training programs that leverage the hiring power of major regional employers while nurturing local residents' talent.
WPSI has been a user of Salesforce but realized their applicant processing process could be improved so they could connect an applicant to multiple training opportunities without creating duplicates. They also wanted to streamline the application approval process.
They reached out to CRM Science for help. The team at CRM Science proposed a solution that would enable them to enhance their program offerings, scale their solution for future programs, and refine their system to handle increasing data volume while preventing duplicates to improve efficiency for their staff.
”CRM Science spent time learning our use cases and our internal language. The product they delivered was exactly what we were looking for, and included some additional features that made it super easy to use.” - Sr. Manager, Economic Development & Analysis
Our Solutions
Recognizing the unique challenges presented by UCD, our team tailored solutions that not only addressed the current concerns but also positioned UCD for future scalability and adaptability. There was a staggering 60% increase in program growth following our implementation, escalating from 15 to 24 diverse programs. This expansion has led to a remarkable enrollment surge, from 195 individuals in 2023 to a projected 300 by the end of 2024, reflecting our commitment to reaching more applicants and broadening our impact.
CRM Science significantly reduced duplicate lead data via FormAssembly and Salesforce. By introducing advanced data tracking and management features, we've enhanced the monitoring of returning clients and the quality of our data, ensuring more accurate processing and efficient reporting. This has coincided with a noticeable uptick in engagement, as demonstrated by the increase from 5,452 unique applicants in 2023 to 3,929 in just the first half of 2024. They are on track to see a 44% increase in engagement, showcasing our ability to manage a larger volume of applicants effectively.
We enhanced the functionality for Approval Processes significantly. By implementing a comprehensive Red/Yellow/Green indicator system, we offer more precise insights into approvals for a specific cohort. We designed an intuitive approval queue warning system that provides timely notifications and alerts and streamlined processes to facilitate quicker and more accurate application approvals that showed a 75% decrease in time. The impact is evident in our streamlined operations, where the number of clicks required for each application review has plummeted from approximately 20 to just 5, enhancing efficiency and enabling our team to focus on delivering quality services to the applicants.
Summary
With the adoption of our solutions, UCD has experienced a significant transformation in its application and approval processes. Not only has data quality and integrity been restored, but the institution can now also handle larger volumes of applicants with more efficiency. The revamped approval system ensures timely and accurate decisions, bolstering the overall quality of the UCD's programs. Our collaboration has paved the way for UCD to scale its initiatives, ensuring they remain at the forefront of community advancement and service.
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