Southern New Hampshire Services (SNHS) is part of the Community Action Partnership serving Southern New Hampshire and beyond. SNHS helps neighbors conquer obstacles on their path to economic independence. Whether it’s child care, nutrition, education, workforce, housing, or senior living needs, they offer services to help community members achieve their goals and provide for their families.

Project Overview 

SNHS teamed with CommonPlaces to plan and execute a monumental overhaul of the SNHS Company Portal and website. The new site has streamlined their job posting process, allowed for instant website updates, and has given staff the ability to automate processes that were previously handled manually so that they can focus more on the overarching goals of their organization. 

No matter what obstacles arise, we believe every person should have access to a healthy, sustainable life as a contributing member of society.
– SNHS

Goals

SNHS initially came to CommonPlaces to achieve the following goals.

  • Improve overall functionality of the site to quickly and efficiently post employment opportunities, keep an accurate calendar of events, and post urgent community news. 
  • Optimize page performance to reduce page load times. 
  • Refresh the user-interface of their ‘clunky’ company portal so it is easier for their Board Members, Employees, Executive Team, and Directors to manage and navigate.
  • Rebuild their document storage system to reduce the amount of errors due to missing information or inconsistent naming conventions.
  • Partner with an agency who would provide constant communication throughout the initial project and reliable support solutions once the site was deployed without needing to jump through hoops.

      Solution

      CommonPlaces led multiple discovery sessions with the SNHS team to identify and document the current challenges faced, pain points, and priorities of SNHS for their website and applicant portal. CommonPlaces then interviewed staff and community members to create a Customer Journey Map which provided helpful insight in making strategic decisions about the site layout, navigation, and design.

      Along with creating an engaging, responsive design SNH’s top priority was to streamline the job application process; from posting the position, to applying for the job, and scheduling interviews.  CommonPlaces updated the Employment Portal so that jobs were easier to find and apply for and applicant information was made available to staff according to their permission level. This allowed records to be shared immediately between HR and the one who posted the role in an efficient and secure manner. Which means applicants now spend less time waiting to hear back regarding their application, and more time can be spent securing gainful employment.

      CommonPlaces also improved the overall usability of their internal portal, which is used by SNHS’ Board of Directors, executives, Head Start members and employees to access specific documents, events and updates.  The new and improved permission-based file management system now allows members of the SNHS staff to upload different file types and mark them for appropriate viewing/editing permissions. Members are able to easily search and access critical documents, forms, and completed form data that is vital for business processes.

      While employment application and file management functionality were top priorities for SNHS, additional improvements to the public facing website, such as a user-friendly permission-based CMS, were also required. CommonPlaces provided a highly customized page builder to create a straightforward Content Management System (CMS) for employees, specific to their workflows and needs.  Because of this, SNHS was able to build out the content of their website in the areas they chose, and edit on the fly without having to rely on a third party to place their content.

      More Projects

      Red Oak Properties

      Red Oak Properties

      Red Oak Properties is a network of apartment communities, leasing over 2,000 apartment homes throughout New Hampshire and the New England area. The many floor plans & locations provide residents with options and features they need, along with overall excellent...

      BK Ultrasound

      BK Ultrasound

      BK Ultrasound, an Analogic brand, is a market-leading ultrasound systems provider that address the specialized needs and clinical challenges of physicians worldwide.Project Overview  The goal of the initial project was to build an online presence that would support...

      Pulsar Security

      Pulsar Security

      Pulsar Security – an elite team of security pros working to secure the world – is a cybersecurity company focused on offensive services from vulnerability assessment and penetration testing to phishing simulations and red team engagement.Project Overview  Pulsar...

      CoolBlock

      CoolBlock

      The Cool Block Program aimed to reduce carbon in cities – block by city block. By providing a path forward to address climate change, disaster-resilient neighborhoods and green economic development.Project Overview  CommonPlaces Interactive developed a custom website...