Social Solutions Apricot\u2122 software is customizable database and reporting software for tracking your nonprofit\u2019s many data sets. While end users often find Apricot easy to use, setting up, managing, and scaling Apricot can feel overwhelming for some Apricot database administrators, especially form and report design. There is a lot to learn as an Apricot administrator, so you might look externally for an expert to support your Apricot vision.<\/p>\n
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Sidekick Solutions is an independent software consulting firm<\/a>, specializing in Apricot software. We help new and existing Apricot users set up, streamline, and make the most of Apricot software with a range of professional services for implementation, reporting, consulting, data migration, and database audit\/cleanup.<\/p>\n While this post is somewhat self-serving in that regard, it answers a common question we often receive.<\/p>\n How can an Apricot consultant help our organization?<\/strong><\/p>\n This post will dive into the specific projects you might explore with a consultant. Before we dive in, there a few benefits of working with a consultant that are worth noting.<\/p>\n An Apricot database consultant can:<\/p>\n Let\u2019s explore a few Apricot consulting projects and why working with a consultant might be a positive strategy for your Apricot database. Every new Apricot database will require design and customization, even if you adopt the Apricot for Funders (AFF), Apricot for Case Management (ACM), Apricot for Victims Support (AVS), or Apricot Essentials platforms.<\/p>\n Implementation will be your first step.<\/p>\n An Apricot consultant\u2019s role is to design and develop a custom Apricot application that matches your organization\u2019s data collection, workflow, and report requirements.\u00a0An Apricot consultant will implement a custom application in Apricot by modeling your existing programs, services, and use cases within the Apricot toolkit. <\/span><\/p>\n Database design is the primary task during Apricot implementation. This includes discovering, blueprinting, and then building the forms and links between forms that will become your custom Apricot application. <\/span><\/p>\n We cannot overemphasize the importance of form and link design<\/strong> during Apricot implementation. Form and link design affect nearly every other feature in Apricot including the end user experience, data quality, and reporting. <\/span><\/p>\n Invest appropriate levels of time, money, and energy in Apricot implementation. While form design is a priority during initial Apricot implementation, other features are equally important to your success with Apricot. <\/span><\/p>\n Don\u2019t forget about the following Apricot features when planning your first steps with Apricot.<\/span><\/p>\n \n\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/li> As your organization grows and evolves, your Apricot database will need updates that better reflect changing program designs, service changes, reporting requirements, and shifts in organizational structure. <\/span><\/p>\n Updating existing fields, editing forms, and adding or modifying links impact data entry workflows, the integrity of your data, and your existing reports. In addition, making changes to the structure of your database will most likely require a data migration from the old structure to the new structure. Because changing the existing data structure of your Apricot database is a complex task, you might consider working with an Apricot expert. <\/span><\/p>\n An Apricot consultant can evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of a database redesign. A consultant can also define a \u201cvision\u201d system, build demos, and define the steps required to successfully complete a redesign project. <\/span><\/p>\n An Apricot database redesign will likely follow these steps:<\/span><\/p>\n A redesign project will then follow an implementation and data migration project plan after completing the above steps.<\/span><\/p>\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/li> Experience is key for Apricot reporting. The more reports you build and run, the more proficient you will become with Apricot reporting. <\/span><\/p>\n Most Apricot administrators can build simple exports and reports that count activities or demographics. Complex reports with calculations, counting across multiple forms, summaries, custom report expressions, and raw SQL reports may require expertise your internal team does not have. In any case, it may be easier to outsource report design and development to an Apricot consultant. <\/span><\/p>\n Dashboards are another Apricot feature to outsource to an Apricot consultant. An Apricot consultant can help you identify where and how to use Apricot dashboards and build dashboards that will be most helpful for your users.<\/span><\/p>\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/li> Note:<\/strong> Apricot data migration will require the Apricot import tool. Review your Apricot Settings to confirm the import tool is active before starting an Apricot data migration project. <\/span><\/p>\n Data migrations may require a number of skills not readily available on your internal team. First, you must understand the design of your Apricot database. This includes knowledge of the forms and links between forms, as well as the fields on those forms. The forms, links, and fields are the target of your data migration. <\/span><\/p>\n Second, it helps to have a deep understanding of how to manipulate large data files in Excel. You will build import files in Excel, so confidence with Excel is a must-have skill. Even if you understand the design of your database and are solid with Excel, data migrations are still a heavy lift. In addition, a data migration can easily corrupt your Apricot database or turn into never-ending cleanup and mitigation projects. <\/span><\/p>\n These skills may be difficult to find on your internal team, so you may consider partnering with an Apricot expert to lead and execute data migration projects. <\/span><\/p>\n There are a handful of situations that prompt a Social Solutions Apricot data migration. <\/span><\/p>\n \n\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/li> Apricot requires proficient and capable users to operate effectively. Apricot needs users for data entry, reporting and analytics, setup, management, and administration. In order to build proficiency with Apricot, your users need training. Training introduces new users to Apricot and keeps existing users and administrators up to date. <\/span><\/p>\n\n
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\n<\/span>1.<\/span> Apricot implementation<\/h4> \r\n
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\n<\/span>2.<\/span> Redesign an Apricot database structure (forms and links)<\/h4> \r\n
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\n<\/span>3.<\/span> Apricot reporting and dashboards<\/h4> \r\n
\n<\/span>4.<\/span> Apricot data migration<\/h4> \r\n
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\n<\/span>5.<\/span> Apricot software training<\/h4> \r\n