RAFI Upgrades Processes

After hiring the services of international consultancy firm Renoir, the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI) started streamlining its procedures and structures by setting up its own Process and Systems Development (PSD) to improve the organization.

Started in July, PSD was designed to continue what Renoir put in place with the recent BUGSAI project, where each units of the organization will be observed, taught, and trained on how to come up with effective tools that would help make their works easier.

“We have restructured meetings to make them more effective and more productive. Instead of just chit-chat, we start meetings on time, we end them on time. It’s really professionalizing the entire organization,” said PSD Manager Caroline Ballesteros.

Also, RAFI has migrated from its Lotus Notes email system to the much more convenient Google platform, which was officially launched last June. The change was adopted for the convenience of accessing emails anywhere, unlike Lotus Notes. Google also features Gmail, Calendar, Google Drive, and real-time collaboration with Google Docs.

“Since the Aboitiz Group is basically veering away from Lotus Notes, the decision was to go with them in order to have a more efficient and accessible platform for emails,” shared Edwin Marfil, RAFI Information Technology Manager.

Along with the email system upgrade was the full implementation of the Oracle Database System that the Finance and Administration Department is taking charge of. Oracle has been used in RAFI since August 1, 2012.

The Oracle Database System is an accounting software that reliably stores large amount of facts and figures in a multi-user environment like RAFI so that many users can also access the same data.

Photo above: Carol Ballesteros, head of the RAFI Process and Systems Development team, orients members on their tasks and functions during one of their training sessions. (Photo by RAFI PSD)