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NeighborWorks Compass FAQs

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We are excited about the potential for NeighborWorks Compass--an  industry-leading customer relationship management (CRM) system designed specifically around the needs of counselors. This list of frequently asked questions will be updated regularly. 
For all other questions, please email NWCompass@nw.org.  
 

Features and Functionality

Will NeighborWorks Compass support financial capability track clients that are NOT in the homeownership path?

Yes, NeighborWorks Compass will support the standard counseling types plus financial capability for all customers.  NeighborWorks Compass users will also be able to add custom service lines.

I provide a lot of documents in advance to my counseling and class participants. Will I be able to do this through NeighborWorks Compass?

All documents you need to exchange with your customer can be added to the customer record in NeighborWorks Compass and made visible and accessible to the customer when he/she logs into the customer portal. The customer can then download the documents from the portal. Documents that have been filled out and/or signed can be uploaded by the customer to the portal. Documents will automatically show up in the customer record inside NeighborWorks Compass so you can access them.  Customers may also take a picture of his/her documents using a smart phone camera and do the upload via smart phone as well.  

Does NeighborWorks Compass have the capability to do a mass import of customers, class graduates, etc. and can it do mass emails?

Yes, mass data import and mass email functions are built into the system. It's designed to assume much of the adminstrative burden from your staff.

Storage and Security

What happens in the case of a disaster? What is the disaster recovery plan? Are backups taken of the instance? Is a Restore option available to us in the case of lost or corrupted data, or would that be a support ticket?

All data resides in the cloud in your organization’s instance of Salesforce when you purchase, download and install NeighborWorks Compass. Salesforce has world-class security and back-ups and is responsible for data recovery in the event of a natural disaster or server malfunction on their end. However, you are responsible for data backups in case of, for example, accidental deletion or data corruption.

Reporting

Can you tell us about the reporting capabilities?

In addition to HUD 9902 and NeighborWorks reporting, NeighborWorks Compass will come with standardized reports for housing counseling service delivery. You will also be able to create your own custom reports. 

Are there reports that can be number- and data-driven, or customizable (rather than just graphics)?

For every standard service line, there will be a suite of standard reports. Users will also have the ability to create custom reports and query the data any way they like. Reporting can be pulled at all levels—from a summary dashboard view all the way to client-level data. 

Training, Onboarding and Support

Will training be offered online or in-person?

NeighborWorks Compass will offer multi-modality training opportunities, both in-person and online. Users will be able to access a searchable database of how-to instructional guides and Salesforce Trailhead modules, so customers have a predefined path to follow and a guided experience. We will also continue to offer in-person training at NeighborWorks Training Institutes and other venues.

Will there be techs assigned to assist with onboarding and support?

Yes. We have am experienced, responsive support team in place. The support system will be accessible within the NeighborWorks Compass tool—you won’t have to leave the site to create a help ticket.

Is the cost for technical support included in the annual licensing agreement?

Yes. The purchase price will include a specific number of hours of direct support per year. Additional support hours may be purchased for unique business needs for which custom configuration might be needed. 

CounselorMax

What if I currently use CounselorMax®?

If you currently use CounselorMax, you will be offered the opportunity to transition to NeighborWorks Compass beginning in early 2022, and when you are ready. The NeighborWorks Compass team will work with your organization to provide clean data migration for CounselorMax users that opt to move to NeighborWorks Compass prior to CounselorMax’s sunsetting. Transitioning will include comprehensive support for onboarding, configuration, and utilization. Your organization will have access to online training so they can use the tool right away, and we will provide ongoing training opportunities—both virtually and in-person.

In the meantime, CounselorMax will continue to be available, remaining compliant and supporting your client management needs. Timing for retiring CounselorMax has not yet been determined, but we pledge to give. CounselorMax users significant advanced notice so you can transition to NeighborWorks Compass or explore your alternatives.

Is CounselorMax accepting new customers?

Yes. CounselorMax continues to grow with new customers coming onboard regularly. CounselorMax is the most widely used and trusted CRM currently available in the market. It can support multiple program areas, including pre-purchase, financial capability, rental and loss mitigation. CounselorMax continues to be HUD-compliant and includes a series of management reports to help organizations stay on top of their pipelines.

Will NeighborWorks Compass be able to track loan information for homebuyers created, like CounselorMax does? In CounselorMax, you used to be able to export a client data file that we could import into our loan origination software to prevent having to do so much double entry. Will similar features be available on the NeighborWorks Compass platform?

Yes, it is our goal to build a state-of-the-art CRM (client relationship management) that includes, but is not limited to, the same features that are in CounselorMax. However, the design and architecture of the CRM will be very different. It will be more intuitive, will follow the typical counselor workflow, and will include custom reporting and many other innovative features that CounselorMax does not currently have. We are keenly aware of the duplicative data entry issue and other pain points experienced by users of existing CRM systems. It is our goal to end the need for duplicative data entry and build a system with data export capability.

Will CounselorMax continue to offer training on the product? 

NeighborWorks America offers comprehensive online and in-person CounselorMax training courses to help you and your team learn to navigate the system with ease. For information about in-person and hands-on CounselorMax training courses, please visit our course catalog and explore the CounselorMax offerings in the Financial Capability, Homeownership Counseling and Education content area..