Enhancing member engagement and operational efficiency with Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform
Book a free discovery call
Pragmatiq worked with The PWI (Permanent Way Institution) to move them away from a legacy website with a back-end database to a new member portal that provides a streamlined member experience and real-time, centralised information for staff, resulting in improved operations and better outcomes for the organisation.
Background & Challenges
Background
The PWI (Permanent Way Institution) is a leading organisation that offers technical expertise, advice, and support to professionals involved in rail infrastructure systems globally. With a growing membership base of over 3,300 individuals and more than 250 professionally registered engineers, the PWI plays a pivotal role in shaping industry training, management, and competency standards, influencing the future of the rail sector worldwide.
Challenges:
- Outdated membership system: The PWI relied on an old website with a back-end database that lacked modern functionality. This was used to store membership data and manage Professional Development Plans (PDPs), but lacked functionality to keep up with PWIs evolving requirements.
- Manual processes & limited automation: Membership sign-ups and approvals were manual, requiring staff intervention and offering no audit trail for key processes. Some spreadsheets were also used to plug functionality gaps, making reporting difficult and increasing the chances of data duplication.
- Disconnected finance systems: PWI used Sage for financials, but it wasn’t integrated with the membership system, leading to manual data entry for direct debits and payment reconciliation.
- Fragmented member experience: While members could access their details on the old website, the process lacked intuitive self-service features. Additionally, viewing membership details required a separate login from the website used for member resources, creating a disjointed and cumbersome experience.
The Solution & Implementation
- New member portal & website integration – Replaced the outdated website with a Power Pages portal, providing a single sign-on (SSO) system linked to PWI’s main website. Members now have seamless access to exclusive resources, events, and membership renewals, while eliminating the need for manual user setup and management.
- Centralised CRM with Dynamics 365 Sales: Implemented Dynamics 365 Sales as the CRM system and customised it to fit around PWIs requirements, enabling them to manage centralising stakeholder, contact, organisation, and membership data. Members can self-manage their profiles via the portal, with updates automatically reflected in Dynamics 365.
- Fellowship & professional qualification management – The system enables structured management of fellowship applications, while also facilitating professional qualifications, such as Chartered Engineer registrations. Dynamics 365 also provides visibility of mentor records, so PWI can effectively match applicants with the most suitable person based on expertise, supporting the qualification process.
- Automated payments & finance integration: Integrated Sage and Sage Pay to streamline membership payments, allowing members to pay upfront or via a new monthly option. Payments are automatically processed, triggering approvals and updating Dynamics 365, eliminating manual reconciliation. Receipts are generated and emailed automatically (via Power Automate and Microsoft 365/Outlook), and members can access their full payment history in the portal.
- Streamlined membership & development tracking – Members can log Professional Development Plans (PDPs) and Continuous Professional Development (CPD) activities in the portal, tracking progress towards goals (e.g., online courses, event attendance) and accumulating professional development hours. Members can also export structured reports for employers, while PWI staff can retrieve relevant data from the system.
- Event management & registration – Implemented Dynamics 365 Customer Insights – Journeys to support the event management processes. The portal allows members to register and make payments seamlessly, reducing manual effort for PWI staff.
- Automated member communications – PWI can also use Dynamics 365 Customer Insights – Journeys to automate all marketing and operational communications, including renewal reminders, event invitations and targeted outreach campaigns, enhancing engagement and reducing manual workload.
The Outcomes
- Centralised data & enhanced visibility: A connected solution provides real-time access to accurate data and a single source of truth, improving the day-to-day experience for staff.
- Increased efficiency: Automation across processes – from member sign-ups to invoicing – reduces administrative workload and eliminates manual data entry, allowing staff to focus on higher-value tasks.
- Enhanced member experience: A modern, self-service portal enables members to easily manage their memberships, payments, and professional development activities. The seamless single sign-on experience reduces the need for multiple logins, improving convenience.
- Greater financial control: Real-time integration with Sage ensured accurate, up-to-date financial data, improving reporting and reducing errors.
- Stronger member engagement: With targeted, automated communications, the PWI can boost member interaction, delivering personalised content and building stronger relationships with its base.
- Future-proof system: The scalable, cloud-based platform offers long-term sustainability, reducing reliance on outdated systems and providing the flexibility to evolve with the PWI’s needs as the organisation grows.
