REDWOOD SHORES, Calif., Feb. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The YMCA of Greater New York chose the Oracle(R) E-Business Suite to revamp its information technology (IT) systems and benefit from an integrated suite of software applications, Oracle today announced. The not-for-profit human services organization plans to deploy Oracle Human Resources Management System, Oracle Grants Accounting, Oracle Financial Management and Oracle Customer Relationship Management (CRM) to better cultivate its workforce of 4,400, create more sophisticated fundraising and grant management initiatives and grow its membership.
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The YMCA of Greater New York began in 1852 in rented rooms in lower Manhattan. The organization has since grown to be the largest YMCA in the world, serving more than 350,000 New Yorkers each year through 19 full-service branches and 180 program sites throughout the five boroughs of New York City. Previously, the YMCA of Greater New York relied on a patchwork of proprietary and legacy IT systems including financial management software from Lawson, various applications running on IBM, and a 25 year-old human resources (HR) and payroll program written in COBOL. This created a high-risk environment that lacked real-time visibility, stifling the organization's ability to grow.
The organization realized it needed a modernized IT system that could support new program development, fuel more sophisticated recruitment, as well as improve membership attraction and retention rates. The YMCA of Greater New York determined that it required 33 different modules to effectively support all of its business processes. After a careful evaluation of vendor offerings and consideration of the software systems other YMCA affiliates were using, the organization selected Oracle.
"When our IT infrastructure started to become a liability, we knew it was time to invest in an integrated software offering that would fuel our growth initiatives, support our expanding workforce and reduce inefficiencies that were draining our resources," said YMCA of Greater New York senior director of technology, John Atwater. "Instead of worrying that our payroll and human resources systems might fail, we want to focus more of our energy on improving the member experience and enhancing delivery of our key services in the areas such as child care, teen development, day camp and health and fitness. With Oracle, we anticipate we will be able to achieve this transformation."
Talent Management Driven by Self Service
Oracle Applications will enable the YMCA of Greater New York to replace its manual, labor-intensive HR processes and become more efficient. With Oracle Human Resources Management System, the organization will roll out a significant, new talent management initiative to more effectively attract and retain the most qualified employees. Specifically, Oracle iRecruitment will help the YMCA of Greater New York manage every phase of finding, recruiting, hiring and tracking candidates via a self-service interface. Oracle Learning Management will also support the organization's commitment to increasing the retention rate of its staff by providing more career advancement opportunities and relevant training programs.
The integration between Oracle Payroll and Oracle Financial Management will allow the organization to control costs and help ensure its entire workforce is paid accurately and on time. Additionally, Oracle Self-Service Human Resources will empower employees to access and manage information such as vacation requests, sick leave and retirement fund contributions in a paperless environment.
"What makes any YMCA great is its people, and when 63 percent of our overall operating expenses is connected to payroll and benefits, we need a mature system that is reliable and rich in functionality," continued Atwater. "With Oracle, we will be able to cultivate our workforce and attract new talent so that we can continue to grow in our goal of attracting the top non-profit professionals in the field."
Oracle Grants Accounting was also critical to the organization's decision to select Oracle. Each year, the YMCA of Greater New York secures approximately 25 million dollars in state and federal grants for an array of offerings ranging from after school programs to transitional housing to substance abuse counseling, requiring substantial reporting efforts back to Grantors. Oracle Grants Accounting will give the organization comprehensive reporting capabilities that will track grants from inception to final reporting and also help ensure compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
The YMCA of Greater New York plans to deploy the Oracle E-Business Suite in three phases and is currently implementing Oracle Human Resources Management System. During the second phase, the organization is scheduled to roll out Oracle Financial Management, Oracle Advanced Procurement and Oracle Asset Management. The final phase will be dedicated to implementing Oracle CRM, enabling the organization to create more sophisticated member recruiting campaigns, track leads, referrals and volunteerism.
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