To keep pace with Singapore’s push to digitalise the social services sector, MINDS — an agency focused on persons with intellectual disability (PWIDs) — had to embark on a digital transformation journey that would enable it to be more agile, robust, and capable of meeting the needs of its clients.

One area of focus for the agency is the adoption of a scalable, cloud-based ERP solution to address several back-end challenges.

“We were looking for a system that supports clear decision-making across all levels, and meets the complex reporting and compliance needs set by sector administrators. In short, we needed a single source of truth that’s available in real time, or close to it,” said Kelvin Koh, Chief Executive Officer of MINDS.

Helping hand

Established in 1962, MINDS has been supporting the needs of PWIDs and their families. The organisation focuses on strengthening education, improving employability, expanding community-based services, and promoting inclusive community living.

“At MINDS, we focus on each PWID’s unique needs, interests, and strengths, providing support that adapts across their lifespan. This kind of customised support creates operational complexity, as each program or service comes with different reporting, funding, and compliance requirements,” Koh said.

MINDS offers more than 30 programs and services to support PWIDs and their families. Previously, the agency relied on multiple stand-alone systems to manage data, making routine tasks such as financial reporting, procurement tracking, and case documentation complex and time-consuming.

“Our legacy systems just couldn’t keep up with our evolving needs,” Koh recalled.

Following a thorough evaluation process, MINDS adopted Oracle NetSuite, citing its ability to support a multi-entity structure and accommodate diverse service requirements.

“Its strong track record and alignment with governance and compliance requirements were also key considerations. Additionally, NetSuite’s participation in the social service digital transformation journey, as part of its CSR goals, was a compelling proposition for MINDS,” Koh said.

Integration challenges

A critical step in MINDS’s deployment of NetSuite involved re-architecting the initial system setup to support integration with multiple applications. Koh said workflows were customised to reflect the agency’s complex funding structures and operational needs.

This remains a work in progress, as MINDS continues to refine its system architecture to keep pace with changing service demands and meet the expectations of sector administrators.

“Adopting new technology is never just about the system; it’s also about people. That’s why we focused heavily on change management and staff upskilling, so everyone felt confident and capable. Engaging stakeholders early was key to building awareness and openness to change,” Koh said.

MINDS then adopted a phased, iterative roll-out that included training to ensure no staff member was left behind.

The agency also developed internal expertise by tapping individuals with strong knowledge of MINDS’s operations and an understanding of NetSuite. Koh said these individuals now play a key role in connecting operational needs with the system, ensuring smoother adoption and supporting future improvements.

Fruits of labour

One of the most immediate benefits of NetSuite has been its ability to manage MINDS’s end-to-end financial workflows within a single system, covering budgeting, expense tracking, grant reporting, and audit preparation.

“We customised our chart of accounts to reflect the diversity of our funding sources. This now lets us tag transactions by program, location, and funding stream, which improves financial transparency and compliance,” Koh remarked.

MINDS has also automated routine tasks, resulting in time savings of around 30% to 40% across departments.

For reporting, the system now generates customised, audit-ready reports across programs, funding streams, and cost centres in minutes — a task that previously took far longer with legacy systems and spreadsheets.

“Saved search and reporting features give managers at all levels, from the C-suite to centre and program leads, insights tailored to their roles and access levels,” Koh said.

These reporting improvements are said to have helped MINDS strengthen its transparency, accountability, and decision-making.

“More accurate and visible financial and operational reporting has boosted stakeholder confidence, especially among donors. That trust helps reinforce our credibility. And with better information, we can allocate limited resources more effectively and respond to needs more quickly,” he added.

Areas of excellence

Among MINDS staff, productivity and morale are reported to have improved. The agency’s internal survey rating for workplace satisfaction rose by 14% compared to 2021, prior to its adoption of NetSuite.

Koh noted that digitalisation remains an ongoing, multi-year effort. In the coming years, MINDS aims to strengthen its digital ecosystem by integrating client, donor, volunteer, and program data to enable more coordinated, targeted, and individualised support.

“We plan to use advanced data analytics, including spatial analysis, to identify service gaps across the island. This will help us plan and deliver new services closer to where our clients live, reducing travel time and transport costs, and improving accessibility for the communities we serve. We also want to minimise manual work in planning and resource allocation, so we can redeploy limited manpower to direct client support and continue raising our governance standards,” he concluded.