Source (Microsoft) 

What are PowerPages?  

Microsoft PowerPages Dynamics 365 is a low-code, responsive web portal platform that enables organizations to engage external users through a seamless online experience. Powered by Dynamics 365, Power Apps Portals provides a rich set of features and customization options, allowing businesses to tailor portals to their specific needs without the complexity of traditional development. 

Microsoft Power Pages Key Features  

With its low-code approach and seamless integration with Microsoft’s ecosystem of tools and services, Power Apps Portals empower organizations to create dynamic and scalable portal solutions to meet their unique business needs. Microsoft Power Pages offer a wide range of powerful features to enable businesses to create customizable web portals with ease.

Drag-and-Drop Interface: Power Apps Portals provide an intuitive, drag-and-drop interface for designing and customizing web pages, allowing users to create and modify portal content without the need for extensive coding knowledge. 

Customizable Templates: Users can choose from a variety of pre-built templates and themes to kickstart portal development, saving time and effort in the design process. 

Responsive Design: Portals built with Power Apps Portals are responsive by default, ensuring a seamless user experience across devices and screen sizes. 

Integration with Dynamics 365: Power Apps Portals seamlessly integrate with Dynamics 365 and other Microsoft products, allowing businesses to leverage their existing data and processes within the portal environment. 

Authentication and Access Control: Power Apps Portals offer robust authentication options and role-based access control (RBAC) to ensure secure access to portal content and functionality. 

External User Management: Organizations can manage external user access and permissions within the portal environment, enabling secure collaboration with customers, partners, and stakeholders. 

Data Integration: Power Apps Portals enable integration with external data sources and APIs, allowing businesses to access and display data from various systems within the portal interface. 

Workflow Automation: Users can create automated workflows and business processes using Power Automate (formerly Microsoft Flow), streamlining tasks and improving efficiency within the portal environment. 

Multi-language Support: Power Apps Portals support multilingual content and localization, allowing businesses to create portals that cater to diverse audiences and regions. 

Analytics and Reporting: Power Apps Portals provide built-in analytics and reporting capabilities, allowing users to track portal usage, user interactions, and performance metrics to gain insights and make data-driven decisions. 

Microsoft PowerPages  Benefits 

Ease of Use: With its intuitive interface and drag-and-drop functionality, Power Apps Portals make portal development accessible to users with varying technical skills, eliminating the need for extensive coding knowledge. 

Customization: From branding and layout to functionality and user experience, Power Apps Portals offer extensive customization options to create portals that align with your organization’s branding and requirements. 

Integration: Seamlessly integrate Power Apps Portals with other Microsoft products, such as Dynamics 365, Power BI, and SharePoint, as well as third-party applications, to create unified experiences and streamline business processes. 

Scalability: Whether you’re building a simple customer support portal or a complex partner portal, Power Apps Portals scales to accommodate your growing needs and evolving business requirements. 

Security: Ensure data security and compliance with robust security features, including role-based access control (RBAC), authentication options, and data encryption. 

Cost-Effective: By leveraging existing Microsoft licenses and the pay-as-you-go pricing model, Power Apps Portals offer a cost-effective solution for building and managing web portals. 

Use Cases for PowerPages 

Customer Self-Service Portal: Empower customers to find answers to their questions, access support resources, and manage their accounts through a self-service portal, reducing support costs and enhancing customer satisfaction. 

Partner Portals: Collaborate more effectively with partners by providing them with access to relevant information, resources, and tools through a dedicated partner portal, facilitating communication and driving mutual success. 

Employee Portals: Streamline internal processes and improve employee productivity by creating employee portals for tasks such as onboarding, training, time tracking, and HR services. 

Community Engagement: Foster community engagement and collaboration by creating portals for forums, knowledge sharing, events, and member directories, facilitating connections and driving engagement. 

Event Registration Portals: Simplify event management and registration processes by creating event portals where attendees can register, access event details, and interact with organizers and fellow participants. 

E-commerce Portals: Expand your online presence and drive sales by creating e-commerce portals where customers can browse products, make purchases, track orders, and access customer support. 

Purchase your first Microsoft Power Pages License   

It’s important for businesses to carefully evaluate their requirements and budget constraints when considering Power Apps Portal pricing. Microsoft’s flexible pricing options and scalable solutions make Power Apps Portals accessible to organizations of all sizes, enabling them to create engaging web portals that drive customer engagement, streamline business processes, and unlock new opportunities for growth. 

Microsoft offers flexible pricing options for Power Apps Portals to suit various business needs and requirements. The pricing structure typically revolves around two main components: capacity and licensing. 

Capacity-based Pricing: 

Microsoft Power Apps Portals are priced based on capacity, which refers to the resources required to support the portal’s usage, including page views, logins, and data storage. 

Customers can choose from different capacity levels based on their anticipated usage and scale as needed. 

Capacity-based pricing allows businesses to pay for the resources they need, making it a cost-effective option for organizations of all sizes. 

Licensing: 

In addition to capacity-based pricing, organizations must also consider licensing requirements for Power Apps Portals. 

Licensing options may vary depending on the user roles and access levels required for portal users. 

Microsoft offers various licensing plans, including per-app, per-user, and per-device licensing models, allowing businesses to choose the option that best fits their needs and budget. 

Additional Costs: 

While the basic pricing structure covers the core features and functionalities of Power Apps Portals, there may be additional costs associated with advanced capabilities, premium connectors, and third-party integrations. 

Customers should also consider any consulting or development services they may require to customize and optimize their Power Apps Portals to meet specific business requirements. 

Subscription Plans: 

Microsoft offers different subscription plans that include Power Apps Portals as part of the broader Power Platform ecosystem. 

Customers can choose from various subscription tiers, such as Power Apps per app plan, Power Apps per user plan, and Dynamics 365 licensing plans, each offering different levels of access to Power Apps Portals and other Power Platform services. 

Conclusion 

Microsoft Power Apps Portals revolutionize the way organizations engage with external users, enabling them to build tailored web portals quickly and cost-effectively. With its ease of use, customization options, and seamless integration capabilities, Power Apps Portals empower businesses to create engaging online experiences that drive customer satisfaction, foster collaboration, and unlock new opportunities for growth. Whether you’re looking to enhance customer support, streamline partner interactions, or foster community engagement, Power Apps Portals provide the tools you need to succeed in today’s digital landscape. 

Ready to Build Your PowerPage?

Transform your vision into reality with Beyond Intranet, your trusted partner in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Power Pages development. Our team of experienced professionals specializes in creating customized portals that meet your unique business needs. From design and development to deployment and support, we’re here to guide you every step of the way. 

Contact us today to schedule a consultation and discover how Beyond Intranet can help you build the Power Apps Portal of your dreams. Let’s embark on this journey together and unlock the full potential of Microsoft Power Apps Portals for your organization!

The most successful businesses in contemporary times are those that align their business processes with the expectations of their customers. With evolving business trends, companies are increasingly orienting themselves toward prioritizing customer needs and preferences.

Importance of customer relationship management in the modern business

Empowering your staff with knowledge is key. Equipped with the right information, they can forge stronger relationships with your customers or members, ultimately enhancing your organization’s performance. CRM and Business Intelligence tools enable you to harness data to your advantage, allowing for in-depth analysis of performance, valuable insights into accountholder behavior, and relationship enhancement.

CRM Business Intelligence facilitates personalized experiences across all customer or member touchpoints, enabling you to:

• Track, measure, and evaluate marketing campaigns and programs
• Enhance the service experience for your accountholders.
• Make well-informed business decisions.

Tie all Customer Interactions with Business Intelligence CRM

If a significant portion of your customer base comprises youth, it’s essential to recognize their active presence on social media. To maximize effectiveness, implementing a social CRM strategy is crucial.

Your social CRM strategy should focus on understanding your customers’ demographics and their engagement with your company. This entails tracking interactions across various marketing channels and analyzing the sales process.

For instance:

• Are higher-value customers receiving a different experience compared to lower-value ones?
• Are there any obstacles hindering customer interactions? If so, what are they?
• How do you conduct your reporting?

Utilize the data collected from your CRM to address these queries. Subsequently, leverage your BI tools to fill any information gaps. The capability to convert raw data into actionable business intelligence sets you apart in the competitive landscape.

Plan your BI and CRM Integration Meticulously

Business Intelligence (BI) revolves around the strategic utilization of gathered information. While possessing the right data is crucial, understanding how to effectively employ this information is equally important. The primary goal of integrating CRM and BI is to enhance the customer experience.

Before embarking on integrating BI and CRM, it’s essential to assess how they align with the existing setup, including the company’s infrastructure and other services. Questions to consider include whether the integration enables data extraction from asset management or project management software for cross-referencing with customer data.

Companies must establish a clear roadmap outlining how BI insights will impact productivity and financial metrics. It’s also imperative to determine how these insights will influence the overall functioning of the business. This comprehensive understanding ensures that the integration of BI and CRM is not only seamless but also optimally beneficial to the organization.

Selecting the right BI tool

Investing the right Business Intelligence tool is crucial for any business. It involves comparing various versions and platforms to find the one that seamlessly integrates into your existing setup.

When choosing a BI tool, opt for one that provides personalized training and supports unlimited data sets, among other functionalities. Additionally, ensure that the BI tool integrates smoothly with your CRM software, either through application programming interface (API) or front-end integration.

By carefully evaluating these factors, you can select a BI tool that not only meets your business needs but also enhances the efficiency of your CRM operations.

Attract, Retain and Grow Relationships

The success of your organization hinges on your ability to attract, retain, and nurture relationships with accountholders. With CRM and Business Intelligence, you gain access to powerful customer relationship management (CRM) tools designed to precisely achieve that.

A robust CRM System like Microsoft Dynamics 365 empower you to:

• Enhance cross-selling and increase referrals during the sales process.
• Track inquiries, route leads, and measure the effectiveness of marketing programs.

Improve top-line revenue and elevate the service experience for customers or members.

Marketing Analytics (embedded Power BI Analytics) further enables you to:

• Target campaigns effectively and assess product profitability.
• Analyze constituent relationship and identify cross-sell opportunities.
• Measure ROI for each marketing campaign, enabling informed decisions on pricing, incentives, and resource allocation.

With features such as customer value indexing, expense and fee allocation for each product type, and profit contribution computation for every account, individual, and household, MS Dynamics 365 provides a comprehensive insight to drive strategic decision-making and optimize future resource allocation.

Dynamics 365 and Power BI- A Seamless Blend

Integrating Dynamics 365 with your Power BI dashboards is a game-changer, as the entire Microsoft ecosystem leverages the Common Data Model. This ensures a centralized location for all common data shared between applications and data sources, promoting application integrity and consistency. Each application seamlessly interacts with the Common Data Model (CDM), eliminating the need for individual data handling.

The foundational layer incorporates a single data model with integrations tailored to your Microsoft Dynamics CRM application. With a configurable approach, modules can be progressively added to enhance solution capabilities without disrupting or rebuilding existing systems.

Here’s a list of possibilities when you integrate Dynamics 365 with Power BI:

Foundation Layer

• Core data model and integrations adaptable to various CRM-based systems.
• Pre-built hierarchy tables for commonly used dimensions (e.g., Business Unit, Sales).

Sales Performance

• Empowers sales leadership to measure the entire sales organization against quota and budget expectations.
• Identifies top and bottom performers based on Actual versus Forecast analysis using historical snapshots.

Forecast & Pipeline Management

• Workflow-based approach for maintaining a healthy pipeline and accurate forecasting.
• Provides management visibility to monitor and guide teams towards success.

Pipeline Growth & Velocity

• with built-in historical snapshots.

Lead Funnel Analysis

• Monitors and manages the flow of new leads into the sales funnel to address future pipeline needs.

Account Planning & Management

• Utilizes additional data sources for enhanced insights into account management and sales opportunities.

Campaign Performance

• Integrates with marketing automation systems to analyze email campaign success and improve marketing strategies.

Territory Planning & Management

• Incorporates external market data to guide resource allocation and drive sales in targeted territories.

This comprehensive Business Intelligence CRM offers insights and tools to optimize sales performance, streamline processes, and drive growth within your organization.

Make your Customer Engagement Processes smarter

Once CRM and BI tools are seamlessly integrated, the possibilities for innovative data utilization are endless. This integration unlocks a wealth of opportunities for interlocking services and facilitating enhanced functionalities.

The customer support team gains the ability to personalize interactions by leveraging data provided by the BI tool. Real-time BI data enables CRM systems to optimize response times, ensuring swift and efficient customer service.

Moreover, the customer service department can harness BI data for predictive modeling and analysis, allowing them to anticipate and address customer issues proactively, even before they arise.

By strategically planning the intelligent integration of CRM and BI tools, businesses can achieve remarkable enhancements in customer interactions and experiences. These improvements not only drive profitability but also foster long-term customer loyalty and satisfaction. It’s a transformative approach that paves the way for sustained success in today’s competitive landscape.

Conclusion

Over the next three to five years, a burgeoning wave of AI-enabled technologies is poised to revolutionize sales teams, offering unparalleled efficiency and accuracy in prospecting, and targeting. This transformative shift will prompt sales and marketing organizations to place a renewed emphasis on data quality.

The widespread adoption of AI-enabled sales and marketing technology will underscore the necessity for automatic enrichment and ongoing updates of customer data, upon which intelligence relies. This demand will intensify as more marketing and sales teams transition towards account-based strategies and the momentum for AI-enabled integrations gains pace. As a result, ensuring the accuracy and relevance of customer data will become increasingly crucial for driving successful sales and marketing initiatives.

We’ll help you unlock the power of knowledge and data to drive meaningful interactions and elevate your organization’s success.

Let’s discuss your CRM and Business Intelligence Strategy. To connect, send us an email at contact@beyondintranet.com or fill the contact form below.

Consultants are experienced advisors who partner with nonprofits to uplift operations. They fill gaps, provide an outside perspective, and enable access to high-level skills. Whether revamping fundraising, improving technology, or strategic planning, consultants can be game-changers.  

Read on to learn how these talented professionals can benefit your mission. Discover the ins and outs to hiring the right fit for your nonprofit and elevating impact. 

What is a Nonprofit Consultant? 

Nonprofit consultants understand organizations’ unique needs and missions. They provide tailored guidance on software, systems and tools to strengthen operations. With specialized expertise, they ensure technology applied thoughtfully empowers organizations. 

How Tech Consultants Help Nonprofits 

These partners supplement your capabilities with a technology-focused perspective. Consultants identify opportunities to better utilize software and data to enhance efficiency. Offerings range from assessing systems to implementing integrated CRMs tailored for nonprofit workflows. The right tech consultant optimizes technology to help you best serve communities. 

Types of Nonprofit Consulting Firms 

Consultancies span from small boutiques of niche experts to large full-service agencies. Boutiques provide targeted tech guidance while larger firms offer diverse skillsets under one roof. Ideal partners have experience advising similar nonprofits. Vet their technology credentials and nonprofit track record. 

Services Provided by Nonprofit Tech Consultants

These versatile partners offer a variety of technology-focused services: 

• CRM Selection & Implementation – Tailored platforms to manage donors, fundraising, marketing, and programs 
• Database Management – Optimize infrastructure to glean insights from constituent data 
• Cloud Consulting – Assess and transition systems to the cloud for flexibility 
• Cybersecurity – Bolster security and compliance with encryption, access controls, etc. 
• Online Fundraising – Implement digital tools and techniques for fundraising 
• Change Management – Ensure smooth adoption of new technology and workflows 

The right consultant provides the technology guidance and expertise to allow your nonprofit to work smarter in pursuit of your mission. 

Selecting the Ideal Nonprofit Consulting Services 

Many qualified technology consultants can assist nonprofits. But finding an optimal match aligned with your mission and culture is key. 

Vet Technical Experience 

Opt for an established nonprofit technology consulting firm with a proven track record with organizations similar to yours. Review case studies and testimonials. Do they have expertise with nonprofit CRMs, cloud-based systems, and digital fundraising tools? Deep experience securing nonprofits? This niche expertise can be more valuable than general tech skills. 

Your ideal partner should be up-to-date on the latest nonprofit technologies, like online donation platforms, text-to-give solutions, volunteer management software, and virtual event tools. Avoid partners suggesting outdated technical approaches. 

Match Consultant to Your Size and Maturity 

Seek a consultant experienced advising nonprofits of your size, age and complexity. One only worked with small startups may overlook the unique technology needs of larger groups. And vice versa. A tailored fit sets the engagement up for maximum impact. 

Define Desired Technical Outcomes 

Articulate the technology goals, processes and results you want to achieve. Do you need to implement a CRM? Seek website design services? Migrate infrastructure to the cloud? Defining technology objectives upfront ensures the consultant brings relevant skills into the partnership. 

While nonprofit tech consultants offer invaluable guidance, own ultimate decisions. They advise but you decide. Ensuring solutions align with your nonprofit’s values and direction. An optimal partnership enhances your technology capabilities without imposing external preferences. 

With thorough research and clear goals, nonprofits can find the ideal tech consulting partner. One who feels like an extension of your team. Together, you will make great strides forward harnessing technology for good. 

The Step-By-Step Guide to Hiring a Nonprofit Consulting 

So, you have decided your nonprofit needs technical expertise. Follow this proven process to hire the ideal nonprofit consultant: 

Assess Technology Needs 

Pinpoint problem areas needing outside expertise. Do you need a CRM implementation? Cloud migration? Website redesign? Defining technology needs frames the project scope. 

Get Board Approval 

Present the needs assessment and recommended approach to the board. Discuss potential technology investments required and expected benefits. Obtain buy-in before proceeding. 

Set Technology Goals and Guidelines 

Clarify the key IT objectives and desired outcomes. Do you aim to implement a new donor management system? Improve volunteer engagement through an app? Website upgrade to enable online donations? Concrete goals allow consultants to tailor solutions. 

Also set expectations like budget parameters, involvement level, and timeline to ensure alignment. 

Research Nonprofit Tech Consultants 

Look for consultants with proven success addressing technology needs similar to yours. Experience with nonprofit-specific systems is invaluable. Boutique firms can provide specialized expertise at lower costs than large agencies. 

Create a Shortlist 

Narrow down the options to 3-5 top contenders based on experience, costs, and company culture fit. Look for a personalized approach. 

Send a Request for Proposal (RFP) 

Send RFPs detailing your nonprofit’s technology needs, goals, guidelines, timeline, and requested response date. This allows consultants to prepare tailored proposals. 

Review Submitted Proposals 

Assess each proposal against your defined technology goals and expectations. Compare approaches, expected outcomes, costs, and fees structures. 

Make Your Selection 

Choose the tech consultant whose expertise, proposal, and fees best align with your nonprofit’s needs and budget. Ensure your values and their approach mesh well. 

Follow this process to confidently hire a nonprofit technology consultant suited to help your organization’s mission. 

What Services Must Non-Profit Consulting Offer? 

Now let’s explore the key types of consulting support to strengthen nonprofit operations: 

Fundraising Management – Capital campaigns, analytics, corporate sponsorship, etc. Strategic guidance to boost revenue. 

Technology – CRM selection/implementation, website design, cloud migration, etc. Optimizing systems and data. 

Communications Management – Branding, social media, newsletters, annual reports. Amplifying your mission and impact. 

Strategy – Theory of change, strategic planning, growth mapping. Big picture thinking to fulfill your vision. 

Financial Management – Budgeting, analysis, audits, compliance. Using resources effectively and efficiently.

Resources – Hiring, onboarding, professional development, compliance. Upgrading your most vital asset, your people. 

Facilities – Office layouts, renovations, AV upgrades, etc. Optimizing your physical environment. 

Grant Management – Streamlining grant-related workflows for better efficiency and compliance. 

Donor Management – Fostering deep, actionable insights into donor behavior and preferences. 

The possibilities are endless. Whatever your biggest challenge or opportunity, the right consultant can provide a major boost. 

The Indispensable Value of Nonprofit Consulting 

While running a nonprofit is deeply meaningful, it is undeniably challenging. Nonrprofit management consulting empower organizations to fulfill their mission by: 

Filling Resource Gaps Even the most dedicated teams have limits. Consultants supplement staff and inject new capabilities where needed – no matter how specialized. With key functions covered, nonprofits can stay focused on serving communities. 

Providing an Outside Perspective Insulated teams can develop tunnel vision. Consultants offer an objective third-party point of view. Their insights deliver clarity, revealing problems and opportunities for improvement. 

Leveling the Playing Field Large nonprofits have extensive in-house expertise. Consultants allow smaller groups to access comparable specialized skills cost-effectively. A nonprofit’s size or budget no longer limits its potential. 

Enabling Access to Niche Skills Consultants hone abilities in narrow disciplines like capital campaigns and HR compliance. Rather than building these competencies internally, nonprofits can use targeted consulting. 

As Ellen, Executive Director of a youth nonprofit, shared: 

“Our consultant strengthened our fundraising capabilities overnight with their CRM. Their module eased our fundraising.“ 

Consultants also free up nonprofit teams to focus on their true passion – the mission. As Liam, a nonprofit founder, remarked: 

“I started this organization to help people, not manage databases. Our tech consultants CRM handled the volunteers so I could focus on our community.“ 

Specialized skills, an outside perspective and extra hands allow nonprofits to deepen community impact. So If your nonprofit needs expertise to reach the next level, a consultant may be the secret ingredient.  

Why Beyond Intranet is the Best Nonprofit Partner 

Finding expertise to advance your nonprofit is vital yet confusing. But one leading tech consulting service for nonprofits stands out – Beyond Intranet. 

We know how vast nonprofits are. So, we introduced RightCause, solely to serve nonprofits. RightCause works exclusively with organizations like yours. For years their sole focus has been helping nonprofits thrive through technology. So they truly understand your world. 

• Their customized SaaS nonprofit CRM brings all your data together in one place – donors, fundraising, marketing, finances, programs, volunteers – no more disjointed systems. 
• The Donor Management module enables seamless online donation collection from your website and emails. 
• The Volunteer Management module tracks volunteers and skills for better organization. 
• The Grant Management module streamlines writing, submitting and tracking grant proposals. 

RightCause doesn’t just recommend solutions. Their team personally implements the CRM, migrates your data, trains staff, and provides ongoing support. They handle the heavy lifting. 

The RightCause consultants have years of experience guiding nonprofits of all sizes. They invest time to comprehend your goals. Then they tailor their platform and guidance to make your organization work more smoothly and drive growth. 

RightCause has proven results from past clients – increased online donations, streamlined operations, better data utilization. Affordable pricing structures yield outsized impact. 

Susan at a nonprofit shared: “We asked RightCause for help with digital fundraising and efficiency. They tailored their CRM to us and their guidance allowed us to expand programs.” 

If you want to improve your nonprofit without extra staff, RightCause is an ideal technology partner! 

Wrapping Up 

Nonprofit consulting services can provide invaluable expertise to advance your mission. The right partner, like RightCause, empowers your team with tailored guidance and technology.  

Let’s connect to explore how mission-focused consulting services can unlock new potential and accelerate your impact.  

With proven consultants in your corner, your nonprofit is poised for greater heights.