Better Data, Bigger Impact: How Data System Upgrades Streamlined Service Delivery for MidPen Housing
MidPen Housing was founded in 1970 to address racial discrimination and inequitable access to housing in the Bay Area and establish a self-supporting organization with a clear social mission. Driven by the belief that there had to be a better way to build affordable housing, MidPen ushered in a new paradigm: beautifully designed and well-managed housing built near good schools, jobs, and transit. The kinds of communities that support racial and economic inclusion; make residents and neighbors proud and revitalize cities and neighborhoods.
MidPen works to create a world where everyone has a quality home they can afford and equitable access to opportunity. MidPen Housing drives operations and all development efforts, which include property acquisition, planning, design, construction, renovation, and existing property rehabilitation.
MidPen has grown into a multifaceted organization with more than 500 employees and assets totaling well over $1.7 billion.
MidPen Communities has won over 151 industry awards and honors for its high-quality design and development.
MidPen has developed and retained properties in over 35 cities within 11 Northern California counties.
MidPen Services Needed an Enhanced Database
With the increasing demand for housing services, MidPen Services had a mission-critical need for an enhanced database that allowed for standardized data collection and detailed reporting on service coordination. Their program delivery was siloed, making it difficult to consistently track and monitor constituent progress, intake, and assessments, and program impact and outcomes due to different data collection standards. Due to this barrier, they needed to transform their database, its processes, and workflow to focus on serving communities in the Bay Area.
MidPen Services Says Goodbye to a Siloed-Data System
MidPen Services contacted Provisio Partners in September of 2019 to adjust their current data structure and understand their CRM options. Based on their existing investments and future plans for the organization, MidPen Services would update its current Salesforce instance to extend case management with shelter and housing customizations while leveraging Salesforce’s robust data platform. With their Salesforce case management update implementation, MidPen would be able to automate their service notifications and simplify their data processes to efficiently collect and report on service impact, providing them with a holistic and standardized view of their program operations and constituents.
The Provisio Partners’ team was tasked with creating a comprehensive data management solution collaboratively designed with the MidPen team. They were to develop solutions that allowed Family, Senior, and Supportive Housing programs to upgrade their existing Salesforce Org in a way that would be scalable, repeatable, and easy for their staff to use.
MidPen Service’s Approach to Holistic Services
More than six months into the project, it was put on hold due to a division-wide reorganization. MidPen Services worked to adjust its program structure to provide its constituents with a more holistic approach to their service delivery. Their reorg, however, did not affect the incredible work they were doing to help serve those within the Bay area. MidPen Services continued to support them with vital services that enriched their quality of life while housing them.
In the fall of 2020, MidPen Services finalized their reorganization, and Provisio stepped in to finish what they started and complete the implementation. MidPen’s now restructured programs, once siloed, were reconfigured in a way to support the constituent lifecycle more holistically. While the services offerings remained the same, with services, group events, assessments, and reporting, MidPen Services had to reconfigure their current Salesforce Org layout and workflow to support their holistic program approach and restructure their Salesforce Org for more efficient data flow.
With MidPen Services Reorg of their Salesforce Case Management System, they Gained:
An easily navigable system of interactive visual components
Consolidated cross-platform contacts and data
Comprehensive case management of referrals, including specific point-in-time, triggered follow-up alerts
The ability to create and report more accurately on division-defined outcomes
Organization-wide reporting
Single sign-on compatibility
Intuitive workflow and automation notifications that guide staff to follow proper process and procedure
A reduced need for paper and spreadsheet “out-of-system” processes
Standardized access and visibility to their upgraded data
MidPen Services’ case management system upgrade, powered by Salesforce, went live on June 7, 2021. MidPen can now view, manage, and utilize the right data they need to know their clients’ full lifecycle. In turn, they can make informed decisions, share their true impact with funders, and report back on their programs’ impact. With Salesforce for case management, MidPen can continue to support their constituents and expand service offerings.
“This project took an atypical path. Pausing and retooling an implementation to reflect an organization’s restructuring was certainly a new challenge for both Provisio and for MidPen Services! I think our strong partnership foundation — already forged in advance of the reorganization — helped us continue to communicate well and work together effectively – and successfully – during and after the reorganization. Ultimately, Provisio was able to deliver an updated solution to MidPen that afforded them additional Salesforce features and ease of use to better support their critical client support work.”
Lisa Stefanik, Business & Senior Consultant at Provisio Partners