ServiceNow launch application enables Ndlovu Care Group to create brighter future for at-risk children in SA

ServiceNow today launched a custom-built application that supports Ndlovu Care Group (NCG) in managing its development programmes and simplifying its workload. NCG is a South African-based non-profit organisation dedicated to the well-being of the local population, focusing on healthcare, youth development, water supplies, infrastructure and research. By leveraging the ServiceNow platform to disperse funds accurately, track where resources are going, help travelling doctors know which families to visit and check on local social programmes, NCG can scale their outreach to help even more children and adults.

ServiceNow’s involvement with NCG began with a €20 000 donation to Tjommie, a Dutch fundraising organisation that supports NCG. However, the team at ServiceNow quickly realised that they could deliver more impactful and long-term efficiency for NGC by leveraging their strategic digital know-how. Until ServiceNow’s involvement, NCG had little or no insight into data, making it difficult to determine where care was most needed. NCG also struggled to find the most efficient way to deploy resources and help as many people as possible.

ServiceNow organised the 'Tjommie Hackathon' at the end of 2020 to find a solution to the challenges that Tjommie and NCG had to deal with. Participating teams were asked to consider how ServiceNow's software could optimise Tjommie's workflows and enable NCG to get South African townships what they need in terms of supplies, nutrition and education. The results of this were so successful that it was decided to further develop the application and make it available on ServiceNow's Now Platform. ServiceNow Elite partner FlyForm played an important role in building the application.

More insight into projects

The ServiceNow solution includes a dashboard on which NCG can see the current status of projects. There is also an offline environment where emergency workers can see what needs to be done at all times and where they can update checklists. As soon as a WiFi connection is available, data is automatically uploaded. Since much more data is now available, it is easier to monitor, evaluate and manage projects better, make targeted decisions and distribute funds more efficiently and accurately.

“Tjommie gave us the opportunity to get involved in something for the long term, and something that aligns with our core social values: food security, digital literacy, diversity, inclusiveness and togetherness,” said Hendrik-Jan de Jong, senior executive architect at ServiceNow. “Short-term donations can be helpful. But we realised that through Tjommie, we can offer the same workflow solutions as our other customers, improve the efficiency within the organisation in the long term and the impact would be much greater. In addition, we are very proud of the many ServiceNow employees in EMEA who contributed with their knowledge and time to the development of the app.”

The co-operation also has advantages in the long term. The ServiceNow solution has enabled Tjommie to launch a host of programmes that enable students from involved townships to go beyond basic schooling and learn new digital skills that put them on the path towards lucrative employment.

“Our relationship with ServiceNow enables us to connect and speak out, get more people from the townships involved and influence them positively. It’s no longer about charity but intrinsic development,” said Hugo Tempelman, CEO of Ndlovu Care Group. “And considering 63% of young people leave school unable to work in any trade, what it comes down to is providing a step up to those stigmatised by poverty. After all, if you’re not digitally trained then you’re not prepared for the future world.”

Beyond the benefits to Tjommie and NCG, the application has great potential to support other non-profit organisations in the future. Several non-profit organisations have already expressed interest and the South African ICT company Mediro will provide support for the application locally.