Q4 Roadmap Review

We know, it is End of Year, you are swamped, but you still want to know what is on the roadmap in 2018.  You don't have to go any further to get a quick recap of what is on the horizon.  When you find the time, take the opportunity to listen to the 60 minute recording and hear directly from the fabulous RE NXT products team.

Disclaimer: Roadmaps Are Subject to Change.  The roadmap presentation, and this blog, are for informational purposes only. The product roadmap is based on Blackbaud's current plan as of the date of the roadmap was presented (December 7, 2017), and is subject to change at any time, in Blackbaud's sole discretion, without notice.

2017 Review:

• Increased number of workflows you can complete in the web view - add constituent, export list as examples
• Introduce more APIs and integration - Outlook Add-In
• Data insights with SKY Reporting - additional insights and dashboards
• Industry leading in identity access - single sign on with Blackbaud ID and multifactor authentication
• Delivered 56 of your ideas from the Idea Bank - continue to send in your ideas!

Operate More Efficiently

• Blackbaud ID - plans to introduce single sign-on with Azure AD, SAML 2.0, ADFS, and Okta
• SKY API - as we deliver new features, we will also be delivering new API endpoints correlating to the functionality. Continue to check out the marketplace where our partners develop solutions that aren't currently available.
• Gmail integration coming 1H 2018
• SKY Reporting Report builder - currently in an Early Adopter Program (EAP) for report builder - build your own reports based on insights, have report page that combines all of your dashboards, future state to allow one report page with reports out of any of the Blackbaud programs that you use.  More information on general availability coming in Q1.
• List enhancements - include and exclude constituents to an existing list.  Lists will remain dynamic except for the exclusion content you have identified. 
• Automate your workflows - have events and triggers automated for you. First step is action based (global add action, add action based on activity), future state this will be fully built out from assigned new constituent to automated emails based on behavior.  EAP in 1H 2018.
• Data Health Center - completely automated rather than you sending in data files. Starting with Addresses EAP in 1H 2018. Other finder services to follow.
• Duplicate detection and merge - improving the algorithm for this detection and the merge process as result.  New merge tool will solve for issues you have today such as attachments not merging.  

Reach & Engage New Donors

• One view workflow - leverage list functionality, then send an email, accept donations that come out of that solicitation, acknowledge donor for that gift
• Watch for a great live demo of Next Gen email functionality!  Easy drag and drop email functionality right from your RE NXT web view.  Come back in the Q1 roadmap call for timeline for this being generally availability, we are currently testing with our EAP customers.
• Gift entry - EAP has started for one-off gifts and clients are using this functionality today. Web view form is dynamic, you add the first fields to drive entry below (it will bring in recent appeals that you have sent that donor and if you have default campaign, fund, appeal, and package information those will auto populate when you select your appeal).  Real time credit card processing with Blackbaud Checkout form that has been built by our Payment Processing team and is entirely PCI compliant , no more writing credit card numbers on sticky notes, you can process the payment in real time to ensure that the payment processes right with your donor on the phone (or receive an error that you can fix without having to call them back)!
  • Batch - looking to start EAP in Q1 2018.  Batch will still have all the bells and whistles of the one of gift form, but allow the batch process for processing.
  • Point-2-Point encryption - use external devices with the same gift entry form (1H 2018)
• Next generation donation form builder - same look and feel of the email builder. Form performance built into web view. This will support Digital Wallet options (ApplePay, MasterPass, Visa Checkout currently available).  2H 2018
• Recurring gifts/sustainer gifts - automated recurring gift processing engine.  It will be smart enough to know when and how your recurring gifts are scheduled to be paid, it will attempt to process the payments, if successful it will create gifts (this will then go into an unapproved batch waiting for your approval).  There will also be smart automation for gifts that were rejected.  This engine will process gifts for those entered in the back office as well as those entered online directly by your donors. Same workflow for pledges that we will begin once recurring gifts is delivered.
• Credit Card Updater - now covers American Express cards and is expanded to Canada
• Donor Acknowledgements - completion of gift one view workflow, easy to generate a list of unacknowledged gifts, choose an email template, and send off those acknowledgements. This is a stretch goal for 2018.
• Communication Preferences - track granular and transactional opt-ins and opt-outs for various communication channels and categories (coming Q1 2018)

Retain & Expand Existing Donors

• Events in web view - will start building events foundation in 2018. View and register as well as the APIs that support it.  This will be the base that we can continue to support your unique events that you have.  A lot more to come, discovery has just started, stay tuned for the Q1 roadmap to learn more about timing, currently targeting EAP in 2H 2018.