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  • Key Challenges
    • Reporting was difficult, the data held in the system could not always be interrogated easily or pulled into a report to share across teams
    • There was an ongoing need for manual processes that the system was unable to automate, which was very time consuming for key members of staff
    • The solution put in place to manage the Canine Health Scheme struggled to handle an increase in demand, and so other processes had to be put in place to run alongside the main solution
  • Key Outcomes
    • Gathered detailed requirements from across BVA
    • Production of Invitation to Tender document, detailing project objectives
    • BVA select technology partner which can deliver a system to suit their requirements, as well as match their way of working
  • Key Services
    • Requirements gathering
    • Invitation to Tender document
    • Technology Partner Selection

About British Veterinary Association (BVA)

British Veterinary Association (BVA) is the largest membership organisation for the veterinary profession in the UK, supporting more than 18,000 vets both in the UK and internationally. To carry out their day-to-day work BVA required a highly functional CRM system and had previously run a project to replace their legacy system. Unfortunately the replacement system did not provide the functionality BVA required, and they faced ongoing issues including:

  • Reporting was difficult, the data held in the system could not always be interrogated easily or pulled into a report to share across teams
  • There was an ongoing need for manual processes that the system was unable to automate, which was very time consuming for key members of staff
  • The solution put in place to manage the Canine Health Scheme struggled to handle an increase in demand, and so other processes had to be put in place to run alongside the main solution

As this was the second CRM replacement project BVA would run in a relatively short space of time there was increased pressure to ensure the right CRM system and partner was chosen, and that the BVA’s requirements were clearly documented and understood by the partner.

Requirements gathering

Hart Square were initially engaged to run a series of workshops with teams from across the organisation to identify requirements. These requirements were then collated into a single tender document that also detailed the project background, objectives, and information about the data to be migrated and third-party systems to be integrated with. The tender document was reviewed and approved by BVA and the requirements were prioritised to identify what needed to be delivered in the initial phase, and what could be delivered at a later stage.

Technology Partner Selection in lockdown

Hart Square also ran the technology partner selection process, engaging with the partners involved and facilitating the meetings. The selection process began in the pre-covid world meaning all parties had the opportunity to meet in person, but by mid-way through restrictions had been put in place and everyone had moved to remote working.

This created new challenges nobody had faced before. It was imperative for BVA to find a technology partner who were the right fit for them and could also work well with their web agency. Calls were set up between each partner and the web agency to discuss ways of working, and approaches to integration of CRM with the website. Additional time was allocated to remote meetings and more frequent communication ensured BVA were comfortable they had all the information they needed to appoint their preferred technology partner.

Decision Support

Hart Square ensured that although the decision-making meeting was held remotely there was still a full discussion and consideration of each partner’s performance during the selection process. This included a review of the initial engagement meetings, the partners’ responses to the tender document, the technical demonstrations, and the final presentations. Each partner was scored against the selection criteria that had been shared at the beginning of the process so BVA could make their decision.

In the end, BVA were confident that their preferred partner was a great match to BVA’s ways of working, would work well with their web agency, and could deliver the highly functional CRM system the organisation needed.