“Simpson Associates provided us with the expertise to see us through the design and the implementation phases and potential problems that we hit and got us through those. But they also understood our needs as a charity, the components that make up our data warehouse come partly from Microsoft, partly from other companies like Civica and Simpson Associates provided the glue to help us bring those together and get the best out of them.”

Jon Fox – Associate Director of IT, Alzheimer’s Society

Problem

Before the project, Alzheimer’s Society’s data was siloed across various systems, making it difficult to gain a comprehensive understanding of their volunteer base. This hindered Alzheimer’s Society’s ability to manage the volunteer journey and maximise the potential impacts these vital individuals play in delivering services to those the charity serves. 

“All charities need to make best use of the charitable funds that they have at their disposal,” said Jon Fox, Alzheimer’s Society. “Leveraging the power of data is key to achieving this.”

Solution

To address Alzheimer’s fragmented data problem, the project aimed to establish a single view of all volunteers, their engagements, and their journeys. This involved integrating data from multiple systems, including People Plus and Dementia Friends. Utilising Microsoft Azure for seamless integration and Civica Multivue for accurate record matching. 

Alzheimer’s Society empowered Simpson Associates to freely explore the data and conduct experiments. Simpson Associates employed their expertise to analyse the data and pinpoint potential insights. Alzheimer’s Society exhibited trust in Simpson Associates’ guidance and demonstrated a strong desire to learn from the data. They wanted to understand what the data could reveal about their volunteers. 

By delving into Alzheimer’s Society’s data, Simpson Associates could effortlessly explore and analyse volunteer data to address specific inquiries, such as: 

• What are the characteristics of our most committed volunteers? 
• What types of volunteer activities are most popular? 
• How long do volunteers typically remain involved? 

The team implemented a centralised data platform using Microsoft Azure, enabling the integration of disparate data sources to create a single view. 

“The data warehouse really helps the Alzheimer’s Society understand the data that sits across all these different source systems,” said Simon Dannaher, Alzheimer’s Society. “And being able to produce a master record for each data set is incredibly valuable.” 

This investment in data will have a significant impact on Alzheimer’s Society, and will enable them to scale their volunteer force, increase their ability to deliver services, and expand their support for people with dementia. As Alzheimer’s Society continues to integrate data into its operations, they will be well-positioned to achieve their goal of providing support to 800,000 people with dementia per annum. 

The Benefits

The new data and analytics solution, built using Microsoft Azure technology, has enabled Alzheimer’s Society to: 

• Gain a complete, accurate, and scalable single view of all volunteers, including their age, location, skills, and preferred volunteering activities. This comprehensive view enables Alzheimer’s to understand which types of volunteers most highly committed and what factors are significantly improve volunteer retention, empowering Alzheimer’s to tailor strategies for attracting and retaining the most impactful individuals. 
• The Synapse Data Warehouse brings together all their information to produce a single, holistic view of volunteering and transforms data into an intuitive tool for consumers.  
• Make informed decisions with this deeper understanding of their volunteers, Alzheimer’s Society could make more informed decisions about recruitment, training, and engagement strategies. 
• The data platform is scalable for future-proofed insights. This platform isn’t just for volunteers. It’s a springboard for exploring fundraising trends and more, evolving alongside their needs.  
• Reduce data insights costs through automation will free up resources for further innovation. 
• This flexible platform adapts to Alzheimer’s needs, enabling them to explore advanced data analysis and connect all their data systems for deeper insights and streamlined operations. 
• Ultimately, this project will better identify, plan for, and respond to the specific needs of people with Alzheimer’s/Dementia for whom it serves. By doing so, it will contribute to maximising well-being for both patients and their families, strengthening families and communities impacted by this challenging disease. 

“Through our work with Simpson Associates, we’re now able to put figures to our assumptions about our volunteers,” said Bo Ruan, Alzheimer’s Society. “This knowledge is helping us to improve our volunteer engagement strategies.” 

The Alzheimer’s Society’s journey highlights the transformative power of data-driven insights when harnessed effectively. By centralising, integrating, and leveraging their data, they have gained a clearer understanding of their stakeholders, optimised their operations, and empowered their staff to make informed decisions.