Listen to this article
InformationWeek 500 honors IT department for the eighth straight year.
The Salvation Army Western Territory’s Information Technology (IT) department once again made the InformationWeek 500, an annual listing of the nation’s most innovative users of business technology, which was revealed at a recent awards ceremony at the InformationWeek 500 Conference in Dana Point, Calif.
The West’s IT department ranked 188th on the list of 500, finishing ahead of hundreds of notable companies including GE Power and Water, Scottrade Inc., and A&E Television Networks. Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center of Boston, Mass., topped the list.
“The InformationWeek 500 has recognized the most innovative users of business technology for 24 years, and this year’s innovations were particularly impressive,” said InformationWeek Editor-In-Chief Rob Preston. “What the editors looked for are unconventional approaches—new technologies, new models, new ways of grabbing business opportunities and solving complex business problems with IT.”
The InformationWeek 500 rankings are unique among corporate rankings as they emphasize the power of innovation in information technology, rather than simply identifying the biggest IT spenders, which allows for a level playing field.
“In a field where we hear much more about all the problems than we do the achievements, it is great for IT staff to gain some recognition of a job well done,” said Clarence White, CIO and IT secretary for the Western Territory.
Having to submit its most innovative project of the year for the competition, White said the Western Territory submitted a new version of its gifts-in-kind donor system using iPads in each of its ARC trucks. The project allows for the Army to more accurately project what time ARC trucks arrive at a donor’s residence, increase the speed of which the status of trucks are updated, improve the routing of trucks and more accurately track the location of a fleet.
“This has led to greater levels of donor satisfaction with the donation process, at a surprisingly low cost,” White said. “We expect this will lead to more donations and lower cost.”
White hopes this recognition will further solidify the Army’s reputation as a leader in innovation. “We are the most innovative nonprofit organization in the country!” White said. “Many well-known organizations who are recognized for their high-tech work were ranked lower than us. We are in elite company.”
This high-ranking Salvation Army IT department also has a new mission statement:
The IT Department will empower users, provide value, communicate clearly, and be customer-focused. We will provide device-independent access on demand and voice and video capabilities. We will value and reward continuous learning by educating ourselves and customers to become technologically proficient. We will remove antiquated systems and move toward a paperless environment. We will help leverage information to enhance the image of The Salvation Army, provide technology channels for anyone to interact with the organization, and support the mission to win people for Christ and meet human needs in his name.
