Client Success Stories....

CASE STUDY - INTERNATIONAL MISSION BOARD (IMB)

New software simplifies mission accounting
by Jill Pittman

The International Mission Board's Global Accounting project team will release new software in August 2001 to simplify accounting processes around the world.

The new program, USL Financials, will provide a uniform accounting structure for mission treasurers. Currently, 88 treasurers handle the finances of mission efforts around the world.

To date, the treasurers and Administrative Associates of the IMB's 15 regions have had the burden of developing their own accounting systems independently of Richmond and each other.

"That gives them freedom on one side, but it's a terrible freedom," Matthew Ritchie, Global Accounting project manager, said. "Because they're on their own."

The Global Accounting Project was formed to simplify the accounting process on the mission field. It began nearly 20 years ago, when field treasurers and Administrative Associates expressed the need for a uniform accounting structure.

"This project has been demanded from the field," Ritchie said. "They want something that is modern, that is standard, that is common."

The new system, USL Financial, will implement that order. At least 25 of the 88 mission treasurers had direct input in choosing the core product and developing IMB-specific customizations. That input guarantees that USL suits the needs of daily users.

The program runs on standard equipment and does not require an internet connection. Also, it is not a "black box," meaning IMB personnel can customize the program and its reports, rather than the vendor doing so for a steep fee.

Each region has enjoyed widely varying levels of success with their own systems, but the old systems are not streamlined.

"We should be able to help the treasurers be more efficient and more effective in their work," said Dan Hylden, Missionary Assigned to the Richmond Office of Finance. He has worked with the project since 2000.

With USL, special gifts from mission-minded Southern Baptists can be easily tracked, ensuring donors their gifts are well taken care of.

Auditors will now be able to review mission accounts from the United States, saving on travel expenses. When transferring between regions, treasurers already familiar with the program will not need to "relearn accounting".

And as the number of IMB missionaries in the field increases, USL has the potential to handle that increase without increasing administrative jobs.

Global Accounting will have the final version ready in August 2001. Throughout the fall, training sessions will take place in Richmond, Va. and several locations around the world.

Treasurers have the option of "going live" with USL Financials in January or July 2002, or January 2003, which is the target date for worldwide use.

USL Financials is distributed by Public Sector Solutions, Inc. in Falls Church, VA.