St Vincent de Paul (Vinnies) came to SOCO looking for a reliable and easy-to-use platform to manage its 60,000 members and volunteers. SOCO tailored a solution using Microsoft Dynamics Customer Engagement (CE) and Power Platform to create the bespoke VIPS (Vinnies Information People System). The solution is a customised CRM (Customer Relationship Management) platform as well as a web portal that delivers greater connection and improved usability for staff, members and volunteers at all levels of technical ability.
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The St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland (Vinnies) is a not-for-profit organisation with more than 60,000 members and volunteers nationally.
Vinnies needed a better customer engagement platform to manage interactions between both prospective and current members as well as volunteers.
Vinnies approached SOCO to design a fit-for-purpose platform that would deliver an efficient, reliable and consistent system for managing members and volunteers, from initial enquiry to profile establishment and management, on-boarding, assigning roles and accreditation, data management and off-boarding.
The new platform needed to overcome complex challenges including differing levels of technical expertise among users and varying methods of communication with members and volunteers across the regions.

SOCO worked closely with Vinnies stakeholders using interviews, questionnaires, workshops and documentation to design the bespoke VIPS (Vinnies Information People System).
Using SCRUM and Agile project management and facilitation methodologies, SOCO planned a series of milestones for delivery, giving Vinnies the ability to review and control the outcomes of the project.
The specially created VIPS platform utilises Microsoft Dynamics 365/CE (Customer Engagement), Power Platform and SharePoint Online to coordinate the onboarding, management and offboarding of Vinnies’ members and volunteers.


The SOCO team were key in helping us understand our needs and helped us build a thorough, prioritised set of requirements for our successful VIPS.
Kirstin Hinchcliffe
General Manager, People & Safety

- VIPS Platform – a bespoke Dynamics 365 application for Vinnies’ staff to manage interactions with members and volunteers.
- VIPS Portal – a security trimmed Dynamics 365 application for members and volunteers to interact whilst maintaining privacy and confidentiality.
- Common Data Store – a Microsoft Dataverse environment delivering a central repository of information.
- Process automation – Microsoft Power Automate implemented for approvals, notifications and business logic to improve efficiency and reduce human error.
- Support – SOCO training sessions, user guides and support for Vinnies team members.

Managing, informing and engaging members and volunteers is now a whole lot easier at Vinnies.
The new VIPS platform delivers enhanced functionality and quick access to relevant and reliable information. The integrations enable seamless entry from the one platform, providing a streamlined user experience.
The SOCO solution has given Vinnies an efficient, easy-to-use and reliable platform to successfully manage and connect members and volunteers.
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