Empowering through ERP

Overview

The Sterling Park District, committed to maintaining and developing a creative and efficient park, recreation, and natural resource system, plays a crucial role in the well-being of the surrounding community. Its five facilities and fifteen parks provide the public with a safe and beautiful place to live, work, and play. The Duis Recreation Center, which offers an indoor pool and gymnastics area, and the Westwood Fitness & Sports Center, the district's largest facility containing indoor and outdoor courts, remain the recreating staples in Sterling, Illinois. 

Key Outcomes

• Reduced time spent on payroll processing
• Realized savings on both time and money 
• Ability to manage and operate their solution independently 
• Reduced data-entry errors 
• Create non-profit related compliant reports

Challenge

An expansive territory, such as that of the Sterling Park District, requires an extensive and accurate administrative system to manage its employees, facilities, and activities. Sage 300 ERP provided Sterling with the necessary capabilities; however, Sterling's previous software did not equip them with the necessary tools to run the program efficiently. 

"Our biggest concern was having a solution provider that could help us become more efficient and someone who understood non-profit accounting. We were having problems getting the right financial reports as our previous solution provider did not understand the needs of a nonprofit and how to use our system to meet our specific reporting requirements. We had never been given the keys to our own software and were forced to rely solely on our previous consultant to run it." - Jana Jacobs, Business Manager

Solution

Sterling set out on a search for a new solution provider and was referred to BAASS by a colleague they trusted within the software industry. Impressed with BAASS' knowledge of fund accounting and Sage 300 ERP, Sterling engaged with BAASS. 

BAASS' goal was to teach them so they could be self-sufficient and feel empowered. BAASS provided training on each process, enabling them to manage and operate their system independently. BAASS demonstrated to Sterling how to import GL entries from their specialized revenue system, saving a substantial amount of time and reducing data-entry errors. BASS also trained the team to maintain and create their financial reports specific to nonprofits in order to comply with the applicable Federal and State reporting standards they are required to meet. 

Outcome

BAASS recommended the implementation of products including an account code change utility and a direct deposit system. This has helped Sterling realize significant time and money savings. BAASS also helped Sterling increase operational efficiency through the implementation and integration of the Sierra Workforce Solution. Previously, Sterling Park District was working with an antiquated time clock system for multiple locations, which created a lot of manual effort in order to capture time and process payroll. With Sierra, all their separate locations are connected with an integrated time clock system that further integrated with Sage 300 ERP's payroll module. 

"BAASS continually allows us to be more efficient because of their knowledge transfer of not only our system, but our nonprofit requirements. Working with them has allowed us to focus more on our organization." - Jana Jacobs, Business Manager

Sterling is grateful for BAASS' expertise and dedication to its clients. BAASS' thorough attention and support resulted in helping Sterling get the fastest and highest possible return on their software investment. Due to the time and money saved through BAASS' work, Sterling is now able to focus on more pressing matters within the organization. Jana praises BAASS for the standout service by saying, "The customer service is just wonderful. Their attention to detail, responsiveness, and a solid understanding of our organizational needs are impressive and we are so thankful to have found them." 

"BAASS exceeded our expectations when implementing the time clock system for us. From understanding our business requirements, through an effective system design, to a smooth and quick implementation, BAASS delivered superior service. As a result, we reduced the amount of time spent on payroll processing by four work days per month, which is a huge savings!" - Jana Jacobs, Business Manager