ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION

Sunrise Senior Living was founded in 1981 by Paul and Terry Klaassen, inspired by a Dutch model based on warm and nurturing care environments. Their holistic, resident-centered approach focuses on individuality while encouraging purposeful living and meaningful connections among residents and the broader community.

THE CHALLENGE

Sunrise Senior Living was facing a significant challenge in managing and submitting expenses efficiently. The existing process involved filling out an Excel document and sharing it with the correct people until it was ultimately approved manually for reimbursement. This process was cumbersome and time-consuming, leading to delays and errors in expense submissions. This inefficiency was impacting the company’s operations and goals, as it hindered timely reimbursements and accurate financial tracking. 

The key pain points included:

• Manual data entry
• Lack of integration with existing systems
• Difficulty in tracking and approving expenses. 

Solving this challenge was crucial for Sunrise Senior Living to streamline their operations, improve accuracy, and enhance overall productivity.

STEPS TAKEN

The scope of the project was to develop a custom Canvas app using Microsoft Power Apps that would allow Sunrise Senior Living to submit expenses seamlessly. 

The main objectives were:

• Automate the expense submission process from end-to-end
• Integrate with existing systems like SharePoint, Outlook, and Adobe Sign
• Provide a user-friendly interface for employees

The strategies used to address the challenge included leveraging Power Apps for app development, Power Automate for workflow automation, and Adobe Sign for digital signatures. Key stakeholders involved in the project were the finance department, a 6 person team. 

THE RESULT

The implementation of the custom Canvas app for Sunrise Senior Living brought about significant improvements in their expense management process. 

By automating the submission and approval workflows, the company experienced a substantial reduction in processing time and administrative burden. This led to faster reimbursements and more accurate financial tracking, ultimately enhancing overall operational efficiency. 

Additionally, the integration with existing systems ensured seamless data flow and improved compliance with company policies. 

The project not only met but exceeded the initial objectives, demonstrating a clear return on investment through: 

• Increased productivity
• Better resource allocation
• Enhanced financial accuracy 

These results highlight the potential for similar solutions to drive operational excellence and deliver measurable benefits in any organization.