If you expect that your non-profit will grow over time, it only makes sense to find a case management software system that can grow with it – failure to do so now will mean big headaches later. The kind of software that can rise to meet these future needs is said to be scalable.
Let’s dig into the details of what scalability is, and why it’s important for non-profits.
In practice, scalability can get complex and technical. But at the root it is actually a very simple concept. It has two basic components: your needs now, and what you will need in the future.
You can think of the first part of scalability – your current needs - as the “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” problem.
You don’t want your software to be “too big” because that will mean you will be paying for more than you need. You don’t want your software to be “too small” because then it will not have the capacity to do what you need it to do.
You need your software to be “just right.” It needs to be powerful enough to meet the current capacity of your non-profit but not so large that you pay for much more than you need.
But that is only the first part of scalability. To talk about the second part, we need to take the Goldilocks story one step further…
A Twist To The Story
In our version of the story, Goldilocks grows up. The software that is “just right” now might be way too small in 5 years. And this is the whole key to scalability: It is the ability to grow with your non-profit so you don’t have to make radical changes to your software as you increase the capacity of your organization. Many non-profits have found out too late that they should have picked a scalable software system sooner and they suffer through pain and expense of fixing the problem.
Choosing a software application that is scalable means this problem melts away. You can have seamless upgrades and increased capacity on the case management system you and your staff will have already learned. You will not have to re-invent the software wheel every time you grow to serve more clients.
Cloud Computing: Why Scalable Software Is So Much More Affordable Now
Up until very recently, one of the biggest roadblocks to high-performing software was price. No matter how good and innovative the software company, there was no way around the cost issue. That has all changed with cloud-based technology.
Unfortunately, most software companies that serve non-profits HAVE NOT made the switch to this new technology. Without using the latest innovations, it is still the same old choice between performance or price.
But software companies that HAVE made the switch to cloud-based systems can now offer non-profits very specific solutions. Software that used to be available only to the biggest non-profits is now realistic for small to medium-sized organizations (including 5-20 person non-profits).
The power of this goes beyond affordability. With cloud technology, scaling up to meet the needs of larger non-profits is much easier. So when the non-profit with the staff of 20 grows to 100+, the software can grow right alongside.
It also means that larger non-profits can get exactly what they need right now. Are you starting to see the power of scalability, especially when tied to cloud computing technology? It is an excellent time to be considering your software options.
There is a simple way to discover more about selecting the right software for non-profits: You can download the report, The Unofficial Guide to Electronic Case Management. It’s free, concise, and packed with information that can better help you understand your options.
