Rehoboth empowers greater human connection in disability care with Dynamics 365

When a disabled man—who had spent years living alone and getting only periodic care—was finally able to move into a supportive group home, it was all thanks to Rehoboth Christian Ministries in Alberta, Canada. 

But this didn’t happen by chance. Rehoboth had made a strategic decision to implement a technology system specifically designed to free its team members from time-consuming day-to-day tasks like scheduling and payroll. With more time, a caring Rehoboth client supervisor was able to help this man directly, become a part-time manager at the group home, and provide what Rehoboth is best at giving: genuine human connection.

Within weeks, the man was not only receiving daily care, he was making meals with housemates, attending events with them, and becoming part of a true community. “Connecting that man with day-to-day support and a true home could not have happened without Sparkrock and Microsoft,” says Janice Gerbrandt, Director of Corporate Services at Rehoboth. “Without the system they built for us, that supervisor would have been stuck behind a desk instead of sitting across from someone who needed them.”

Gerbrandt adds that embarking on a digital transformation journey has dovetailed perfectly with the Rehoboth mission, which is inspired by a verse in the Bible from Genesis: “We will make room, and we will help them flourish.”

“There’s a lot of moving parts to handle behind the scenes,” Gerbrandt explains. “We knew that to effectively continue our mission in today’s world, we needed tools as capable and integrated as our care.”

Eliminating paper to focus more on people

Rehoboth Christian Ministries has been helping individuals with developmental disabilities since 1976. From humble beginnings—a single summer camp—Rehoboth has grown to serve over 200 people across Alberta through group homes, day programs, respite care, and supported independent living.

With growth came challenges. Massive amounts of paperwork, manually keeping up with ever-changing schedules, and hours of payroll, including accounting for donations and ensuring tax compliance consumed supervisor working hours. “We were doing everything on paper,” says Gerbrandt. “Handwritten schedules, paper time sheets, endless filing.”

Recognizing that a stronger operational foundation was critical, Rehoboth began looking for a cloud-based solution that could unify their systems, improve workforce agility, and align administrative workflows with their frontline mission. As a midsize nonprofit in the human services sector, they needed enterprise-grade tools, but with nonprofit-centric usability, scalability, and cost-effectiveness.

Rehoboth partnered with Sparkrock, a Microsoft partner that designs ERP solutions specifically for mission-driven organizations. Together, they implemented Sparkrock, a cloud-based enterprise resource planning platform built on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central.

“Rehoboth needed a system that worked for the people doing the work,” says Kinley Graham, Nonprofit ERP Consultant at Sparkrock and also a former Sparkrock client. “With Sparkrock , they eliminated duplicative tasks and manual re-entry, and for the first time, Rehoboth teams could make informed decisions in the moment.”

The new system seamlessly integrated with Rehoboth’s existing Microsoft 365 tools—Microsoft Teams, Outlook, Excel, and Power BI—creating a familiar and centralized digital workspace. Core administrative areas like finance, HR, scheduling, and payroll were streamlined into one intuitive platform. Suddenly, what had once required multiple disconnected systems could now be done with just a few clicks.

Staff can now log hours, access and adjust schedules, submit time-off requests, and complete training from any device, no matter where they are. Managers have real-time dashboards showing staffing, budget performance, training compliance, and overtime risk—allowing them to make faster, better-informed decisions.

“Moving to Microsoft 365 allows us to access our data from anywhere,” says Gerbrandt. “It changed everything. We can work from home, streamline operations, and finally give our frontline staff the freedom to focus on what matters—the people.”

Automating tasks for speed, accuracy, security

The shift in technology quickly created space for deeper transformation. Supervisors who had once been bogged down by manual tasks were now re-engaged with their teams and clients. Rehoboth transitioned from having 30 administrative supervisors to embedding 50 program supervisors directly into its care programs—ensuring that each group home had consistent, dedicated leadership.

“Before, I spent hours every week with paperwork and payroll,” says Wendy Fuglsang, Payroll Manager at Rehoboth. “Now I can pull up what I need in seconds.”

Financial oversight also leveled up. With Power BI, Rehoboth created more than 18 custom dashboards that allow for transparent, funder-specific reporting. Budget allocation, wage tracking, absenteeism analysis, and training compliance are all managed in real time. Microsoft Business Central introduced full audit trails, commitment accounting, and granular permissions to ensure data security.

“When we get a $30,000 grant with five days left in the year, we need to act fast,” says Gerbrandt. “Now we know exactly where we stand and can spend responsibly, without guesswork. Business Central helps us do that, giving us peace of mind.”

Additional security and privacy controls are embedded across the platform. Sensitive information like Social Insurance Numbers is protected and accessible only to those with authorization. Transactions can’t be deleted—only adjusted with a full traceability record. “Auditors love it,” Graham adds. “Everything is accounted for. Everything is secure.”

More time and energy to serve

The organizational gains are substantial—faster reporting, better compliance, smarter decisions—but what matters most to Rehoboth is the cultural shift. Bri-anna Ramsden, Marketing Manager at Sparkrock, says supporting that shift is what makes Sparkrock special. “We see our customers gaining the ability to provide the care and attention their clients need to help them live their fullest lives and truly flourish. That’s what matters most to us,” says Ramsden. “Teams feel empowered rather than encumbered, and supervisors can be present where and when they’re needed.”

Graham agrees, “Our solution is fundamentally based around the idea of spending money efficiently and saving time everywhere we can. Every dollar and every hour Rehoboth can save goes into helping all the great people that they support and take care of every day.” 

Moving forward with heart

As Rehoboth’s digital transformation continues, the organization is rolling out Sparkrock’s training module to improve onboarding and professional development and preparing to launch TrackStar, an applicant tracking tool that will simplify recruitment and hiring.

Gerbrandt emphasizes that even as the organization evolves, its focus will be on building systems that reinforce human care instead of replacing it. “We didn’t invest in this system just to be more efficient. We did it so we could focus more time and energy on the people we serve. Technology has given us the breathing room to be truly present, and more human than ever before.”

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