From Legacy System to RFI-Ready: Preparing for Change

When a large member-based organisation began experiencing increasing limitations with its legacy system, it recognised the need to reassess its approach.

Dog and Bone partnered with the organisation to support their transition to a more standardised, out-of-the box platform to reduce cost and complexity, evaluate available options and establish a structured path forward. Through targeted consultation and analysis, we helped move the organisation from uncertainty to a well-informed, decision-ready position.

“Dog and Bone helped us cut through the complexity of reviewing our membership system. What initially felt overwhelming became clear, structured, and achievable.” - Corporate Services Manager, Member-Based Organisation

The Client

Our client is a large, established member-based organisation supporting a diverse community.

Its operations rely heavily on a central platform that manages participant data, payments, communications, and core service delivery (effectively a purpose-built CRM for complex member organisations).

The Context

The organisation had been using its existing, bespoke membership platform for close to a decade. Over time, a range of challenges had emerged, including ongoing technical issues, increasing costs, and declining service levels.

The technology landscape had also evolved significantly. Modern, out-of-the box platforms now offer more stable, scalable, configurable and cost-effective solutions, reducing reliance on custom development and long-term maintenance overhead.

A key strategic priority was to transition toward a more standardised platform, recognising that value would be realised not through further customisation, but by adopting proven system capabilities and aligning internal processes to suit.

While a potential replacement system had already been identified, the organisation required a more structured and evidence-based approach to decision-making. This included validating requirements, understanding market options, and ensuring any future system would align with long-term operational needs.

The Approach

Dog and Bone worked closely with stakeholders across the organisation to define business processes and desired outcomes, rather than starting with detailed functional requirements, which can often reinforce legacy ways of working.

We did this through a structured consultation process, including a series of workshops and one-on-one engagements with representatives from across the business. These sessions were designed to capture current challenges, identify future needs, and ensure broad organisational alignment.

Building on these insights, we:

• Developed a clear view of target business processes and outcomes

• Established an evaluation framework to support consistent assessment of options

• Conducted a targeted market scan to identify potential platforms

• Prepared “RFI-ready” documentation to support a formal procurement process

A key focus of the engagement was supporting a shift away from a heavily customised legacy system toward a more standardised, platform-based approach. This required consideration not only of system functionality, but also of architecture, configuration, and long-term sustainability.

We also introduced a system alignment model to help compare options, enabling stakeholders to assess how well different platforms aligned with their requirements and guiding principles.

“The workshop process was instrumental in defining what we needed from a future membership platform. It gave us confidence in the direction we need to take.” - Corporate Services Manager, Member-Based Organisation

The Outcome

At the conclusion of the engagement, the organisation was well-positioned to move forward with confidence. Key outcomes included:

• A clearly defined set of desired business outcomes and supporting requirements

• A shortlist of suitable system options aligned to organisational needs

• A structured evaluation framework to support decision-making

• RFI-ready documentation to enable a formal market engagement process

Equally important was the level of stakeholder alignment achieved, providing a strong foundation for the next phase of the project.

With this groundwork in place, the organisation is now equipped to undertake a targeted procurement process, evaluate vendors effectively, and select a platform that will support its future operations, with reduced complexity, improved stability, and lower total cost of ownership.