How World Vision New Zealand Eliminated Four CRM Usability Gaps Without a Single Line of Code From Their Team?

No-Code Rules Engine for IT Staff | Inline Editable Grids | One-Screen Child Sponsorship and Payment Flow

At a Glance

Client	World Vision New Zealand (WVNZ) — a charitable trust supporting children across multiple countries
Industry	Non-Profit / International Development
Service	MS Dynamics CRM 2011 Customisation \| UI Enhancement \| Rules Engine \| Custom Grid \| Web Resource Development
Challenge	Four specific CRM usability gaps: no contextual alerts, no no-code rules engine, limited grid functionality, and a missing child-sponsorship search and payment tool
Solution	Four targeted custom solutions built in JavaScript, jQuery, and JqGrid — each addressing one requirement without disrupting the existing CRM setup
Outcome	WVNZ staff adopted all four features quickly. The client was delighted with the quality of delivery and the collaborative working relationship with Aegis.

About the Client

World Vision New Zealand (WVNZ) is a charitable trust based in New Zealand. They work to support children living in poverty across multiple countries worldwide.

WVNZ had been using Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 for some time. They had built custom entities and configured the system to match their operations. But four specific gaps in the platform were slowing their staff down.

They came to Aegis with a clear brief: solve these four problems with lightweight, easy-to-use solutions that fit inside their existing CRM environment.

The Challenge

WVNZ did not need a full CRM rebuild. They needed four focused solutions. Each one addressed a real gap in how their staff worked day to day.

The Four Requirements

Requirement 1 Contextual Alerts	CRM had no built-in way to show important messages on a record. Staff had no way to flag critical information for other users directly on the form.
Requirement 2 No-Code Rules Engine	Showing or hiding fields based on conditions required a developer every time. IT staff and super users had no way to configure field visibility themselves.
Requirement 3 Enhanced Grid Views	The standard CRM grid was read-only and flat. Staff could not edit records in-line, group data, or view related records in a nested sub-grid.
Requirement 4 Child Sponsorship & Payment Tool	There was no single interface for searching products, adding opportunity products, searching for children to sponsor using custom criteria, and processing payment — all in one flow.

The Solution

Aegis built four separate solutions. Each was purpose-built for its requirement. Here is what was delivered:

What Aegis Built

Alert System	Aegis built a custom Alert activity that inserts a styled notification panel directly into any CRM entity form. Four severity levels are supported: Informational, Confirmation, Warning, and Error. Each is colour-coded and visually distinct. Administrators configure which entities show alerts and write the message content themselves — no developer needed after the initial setup.
No-Code Rules Engine	Aegis created a new CRM entity called CRM Rule. IT staff and super users create rules through a simple form — no JavaScript or .NET required. Each rule defines a condition (the value of one field) and an action (show, hide, enable, or disable another field, section, or tab). JavaScript functions read the active rules and apply them automatically when a record is opened or updated.
Enhanced Grid — Three Modes	Aegis delivered three customised JqGrid solutions: Editable Grid: Staff can update field values directly in the grid row without opening the full record. Grouped Grid: Records can be grouped by any column, making it easier to scan and compare data. Sub-Grid (Nested): Related records from a second entity appear as an expandable sub-grid inside the parent row.
Child Sponsorship & Payment Tool	Aegis built an HTML and JavaScript web resource that handles the entire sponsorship flow in one screen: search for products, add or update opportunity products, filter children by stored or new criteria, copy a selected child to the clipboard, and process payment — all without leaving the interface. Custom lookup search and inline record management (add, update, delete) were included throughout.

How It Was Delivered?

Aegis worked closely with WVNZ throughout the project. The teams met daily. Requirements were reviewed and confirmed before each solution was built.

Each of the four solutions followed the same delivery pattern:

Phase 1: Understand the requirement

The Aegis team reviewed each requirement in detail with WVNZ. Edge cases and configuration needs were mapped before any code was written.

Phase 2: Build and configure

Each solution was built using JavaScript, jQuery, and JqGrid within the CRM web resource framework. Existing CRM entities and data structures were preserved. Nothing was rebuilt from scratch unnecessarily.

Phase 3: Test with real scenarios

Solutions were tested against WVNZ’s actual data and workflows. The alert types, rule configurations, grid behaviours, and sponsorship flow were all verified before handover.

Phase 4: Hand over and support

Each solution was handed over with guidance on how to configure and use it. The rules engine and alert system were designed so that non-technical staff could maintain them independently going forward.

Results

WVNZ staff adopted all four features quickly. The improvements were practical and immediately noticeable in daily use:

Alerts are now visible on any entity. Staff see important information directly on the record — no hunting through notes or emails.
IT staff configure field rules without developers. The rules engine removed a recurring bottleneck. Changes that once needed a developer now take minutes.
Grid views are faster and more flexible. Inline editing, grouping, and nested sub-grids reduced the number of clicks needed for common data tasks.
The sponsorship and payment flow runs in one screen. Staff no longer switch between multiple CRM views to complete a sponsorship and process payment.

WVNZ was pleased with all four deliverables. They praised the skill of the Aegis CRM team and the quality of the solutions. The daily communication throughout the project was highlighted as a key factor in the quality of the outcome.

Key Takeaways

Scope clarity prevents scope creep.	WVNZ had four well-defined requirements. Each was scoped, built, and delivered separately. That clarity made quality control easier and delivery more predictable.
Non-developers should not need developers for configuration.	The rules engine gave IT staff and super users control over field visibility without writing code. The right tool in the right hands saves developer time and moves faster.
The standard UI has limits — custom tools fill the gap.	CRM’s default grid and form controls were not built for WVNZ’s workflows. Targeted custom solutions gave them what the platform could not.
A complex flow deserves a single interface.	The sponsorship and payment tool combined multiple steps into one screen. Reducing navigation reduces errors and speeds up the task.
Daily communication improves delivery quality.	The Aegis team and WVNZ spoke daily throughout the project. That working relationship directly improved the quality and fit of what was built.

Technology Stack

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011
JavaScript
jQuery

JqGrid
HTML Web Resources
CRM SDK

Need Targeted CRM Customisations?

Not every CRM problem needs a full rebuild. Sometimes four focused solutions make more impact than one large project. If your team is working around gaps in your CRM, Aegis can help you identify and fix them.

Talk to the Aegis team about your CRM challenges

Client identity is confidential. Project details verified through internal delivery records. Reference available on request.