| Q. Does Volgistics do
everything VolunteerWorks does? |
| A. Volgistics does just about everything that
VolunteerWorks does, and it has some additional features not found in
VolunteerWorks. The Comparison chart shows you a
side-by-side comparison of the two products so you can see exactly which
functions are available in each. |
| Q. Does Volgistics look like
VolunteerWorks? |
A. Although you can perform most of the same
functions in Volgistics, it does not look the same as VolunteerWorks.
Here’s why:
With Volgistics we’ve eliminated the need for
you to install or maintain any software on your own computer or network. We did
this by making Volgistics run through any popular web browser, such as Internet
Explorer, Firefox, or Safari. Since Volgistics works through your web browser,
it has a new streamlined design that loads fast, and has the common web
controls (like clickable links) you’re used to on the Internet.
Volgistics is a fresh, easy to use approach to managing volunteer information.
Although it is based on more than 15 years experience working with volunteer
leaders, and the latest in Internet technology: it was been built new from the
ground up. This meant not being bound to the same look and design as the
VolunteerWorks system. |
| Q. Do VolunteerWorks and
Volgistics work together somehow? |
A. Expect for a utility that lets you convert your
existing VolunteerWorks data into Volgistics, the two programs are completely
separate. They are not intended to work together in any way, and you do not
need one to use the other. Depending on your needs, you would use either
VolunteerWorks or Volgistics, but not both.
See Which program is right for me for help choosing the best
platform, and the Comparison chart to see how the
programs differ. |
| Q. I already know
VolunteerWorks. Will I have re-learn everything to use Volgistics? |
A. Volgistics looks and works differently than
VolunteerWorks, so some new learning will be required. However, by its nature
Volgistics is easy to use. The ‘learning curve’ is gentle. There are
also a series of free audio-visual training aids available on the Volgistics
web site.
While Volgistics looks different, many of the basic concepts
are the same as in VolunteerWorks. An understanding of how VolunteerWorks
operates should give you a good head-start with Volgistics (although it’s
not required). For example, in both applications you open an existing
volunteer’s record by viewing an alphabetical list of volunteers and then
clicking on the name of the volunteer. |
| Q. If I prefer Volgistics, is
there a way to convert my data from VolunteerWorks? |
A. Yes. If you’re using VolunteerWorks
Version 3, there is a Volgistics Conversion Utility built-in to VolunteerWorks
you can use to convert the volunteer information you have in VolunteerWorks
into a Volgistics account. If you are using a version of VolunteerWorks that is
older than version 3 you can use the free Volgistics Import utility or the
Volgistics Jump-Start service to convert your data.
For complete
instructions on how to move from VolunteerWorks to Volgistics visit
Converting from VolunteerWorks. |
| Q. If I convert my
VolunteerWorks data into Volgistics, can I later move it back to
VolunteerWorks? |
| A. There is not a data conversion utility that
moves data from Volgistics into VolunteerWorks. For this reason you should
determine that Volgistics suits your needs before you convert from
VolunteerWorks and begin using Volgistics. Volgistics trial accounts are free,
and you can run a test conversion of your VolunteerWorks data into your
Volgistics trial account to see how things work before you decide to make the
switch. |
| Q. Will my VolunteerWorks
filters and reports transfer to Volgistics? |
| A. Volgistics has a completely new report and
query system, so there is no way to preserve reports or filters you created in
VolunteerWorks. However, most people consider the Volgistics reporting and Sets
features very easy to use. Plus, there are a variety of common reports already
setup and ready to go in Volgistics. |
| Q. Can I get the same reports
from Volgistics that I get from VolunteerWorks? |
| A. Many of the Volgistics reports contain similar
information and formatting, however they may not look exactly like their
VolunteerWorks counterparts. You can see samples of the Volgistics reports
here.
|
| Q. If I want to move from
VolunteerWorks to Volgistics, what about my year end reports? |
A. Since you can convert the information you
already have in VolunteerWorks into Volgistics, you can make the move to
Volgistics anytime during the year and then print your year-end reports from
Volgistics.
You can also complete the current year in VolunteerWorks,
and then begin using Volgistics at the beginning of a new year. |
| Q. If we used VIC with
VolunteerWorks, can I use the same touch screen with VicTouch? |
| A. Yes. If you use the VolunteerWorks VIC module
now, you'll be able to use the same touch screen monitor and PC for VicTouch
and Volgistics. Simply configure your old Vic workstation for VicTouch. |
| Q. If I convert, can I get a
credit for my VolunteerWorks support service fee? |
| A. Yes, if you currently have VolunteerWorks
support services, and you convert to Volgistics before it expires, you can
receive a credit for the unused portion of the support service fee you paid.
For more information visit Converting from
VolunteerWorks. |
| Q. Can I try Volgistics
first? |
A. Yes. Organizations that use VolunteerWorks are
welcome to sign-up for a Volgistics free trial. You can even use the Volgistics
Import Utility to convert up to 50 volunteer records from your VolunteerWorks
database into your trial Volgistics account to see how it works. Then if you
choose to use Volgistics, you can clear the test records from your trial
account, upgrade to a paid account, and then convert all of your volunteer
records from VolunteerWorks.
For more information about the Volgistics
free trial account visit Converting from
VolunteerWorks. |
| Q. How much does Volgistics
cost? |
| A. With Volgistics there's nothing to buy up
front. You pay a monthly fee to use the service, which includes online support.
The amount of the monthly service fee depends on the number of volunteer
records you track and the number of system operators you need, and it starts at
just $9 a month. Volgistics provides a
rate calculator you can use to
determine what your actual cost would be based on the size of your
database. |
| Q. Thousands of organizations
worldwide use VolunteerWorks, so why Volgistics? |
A. The Internet has now evolved to the point where
the idea of working online makes sense. There are some exciting new things you
can do with an Internet based application that you can’t do easily with a
system tied to a single PC or an office network. For example: involving
volunteers online.
Managing volunteer records and scheduling volunteers
through an Internet accessible application gives organizations a new and
important way to interact with their volunteers. With Volgistics, not only is
your volunteer database accessible to you anywhere you have an Internet
connection, but you can easily give volunteers online features so they can get
the latest news from your organization; update their information (such as their
email address, interests, availability, and more); check their schedules;
sign-up for schedule openings; and much more.
A hosted application is
also easier for people who lead volunteer programs.
We looked at the
reasons customers seek technical support; with the idea that if we could
eliminate the reasons people needed to ask for help in the first place, our
products would be easier to use and volunteer leaders would have more time to
do their really important work. We found that much of what people need help
with is the management of software, not the actual use of
software. For example, people often seek help with software installation,
network connection issues, making backups, moving software from one computer to
another, upgrading to new versions of Windows, and so forth.
Further,
we know that many people who lead volunteer programs work in organizations that
either do not have dedicated computer support resources, or where these
resources are not always easily available to the volunteer program; leaving
many computer management tasks to the volunteer leader.
We knew that by
providing a hosed application, we could eliminate all of these issues. With
Volgistics, there’s no software to install, no updates to apply, no need
for a network connection to a file server, no need to re-install software when
you get a new computer or operating system upgrade, and no need to make
backups. All of these things are taken care of for you.
As the leader
in its field, Red Ridge has always been looking ahead for new or innovative
ways to help volunteer leaders use technology. Volgistics is the next step
toward the future. |
| Q. What will happen to
VolunteerWorks now that Volgistics is available? |
A. Red Ridge continues to support VolunteerWorks,
however new VolunteerWorks system are no longer offered for sale, since the
vast majority of organizations looking for volunteer recordkeeping tools prefer
the online Volgistics product.
Telephone support for the VolunteerWorks
program will continue to be available from Red Ridge through the end of 2008,
and online only support for some period of time (yet to be determined)
thereafter.
This transition is similar to the switch from MS-DOS based
software to Microsoft Windows programs: In the early 90’s, organizations
that used our original MS-DOS software program told us they wanted a Microsoft
Windows interface, so we developed VolunteerWorks for Microsoft Windows
operating system. VolunteerWorks eventually replaced the MS-DOS application
(and today, who could imagine using an MS-DOS interface?). Now market demand
has shifted to online tools for volunteer management and Red Ridge again leads
the way with its transition to the Volgistics system. |
| Q. How are Volgistics and Red
Ridge Software Company related? |
| A. Volgistics and Red Ridge are sister companies.
They are separate businesses with the same founders. Volgistics inherits
considerable market experience and staying power from Red Ridge. You can learn
more about the Volgistics Team at the Volgistics web site. |
| Q. Why does Volgistics offer
support online only? |
A. Volgistics technical support is included in
the cost of Volgistics, so there's no annual support service to buy or renew
separately. Volgistics technical support is currently provided by the support
professionals on the Volgistics Team through an online system rather than by
telephone.
The Volgistics Team responds to inquiries quickly, usually
in less than an hour (some inquiries take longer if they require the attention
of a system engineer).
Telephone support for Volgistics will be
available to all Volgistics customers later in 2007.
|
Have other
questions about Volgistics? Visit the Volgistics FAQ page
here.
|