Case Study
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GO-Live Date
December 21, 2023
Trusted Web Experts
Charlie Stanley
Web Solutions Architect
Caleigh Pickard
Project Manager
Anna Stopa
Design & Layout
Kenneth Kimbrell
Web Hosting Setup
Nikki Vanderkooi
Content Strategy
Tabi Kashif
Content Integration
Zeeshan Aziz
Content Visualization Development
Mehran Aziz
Web Developer
Callum Creed
Quality Assurance
Alex Hathaway
Forum / Listserv
Michael Confalone
Training & Website Launch
Deanna Frimann
Resource Allocation
Leanna Thesken
Content Revisions, Marketing & Case Study
Goals
Overview
About
Montana Electric Cooperatives’ Association (MECA) stands as a not-for-profit, statewide association dedicated to serving and representing Montana’s electric cooperatives. MECA’s member cooperatives serve over 400,000 Montanans across all 56 counties, managing an extensive network of more than 48,000 miles of distribution power lines. Additionally, MECA holds the distinct position of publishing Rural Montana magazine, the state’s largest publication with a monthly issuance of 133,000 copies.
To enhance their operations and outreach, MECA partnered with Powerful. This partnership aimed to revitalize MECA’s brand image, enhance its digital outreach, and streamline its communication channels, aligning with the modern demands of member engagement.
Streamlining Member Information
As a statewide association, MECA’s role in facilitating seamless interactions and sharing information among its member cooperatives is crucial. To streamline this process, Powerful implemented their Resource Directory app — a tool designed to simplify the navigation and access to various cooperatives’ information.
This app transforms how MECA’s 25 cooperative members are presented and accessed online. Each cooperative’s logo is prominently displayed, creating a visual directory that is both intuitive and engaging. Website visitors can click on any logo to be directly routed to the individual cooperative’s website.
Centralizing Opportunities and Enhancing Connectivity
Recognizing the importance of connectivity and community in the cooperative world, Powerful created a centralized platform on the MECA website to list various career opportunities across the state’s cooperatives. This section of the website became a vital resource for job seekers, allowing them to explore a range of career options within cooperatives. By providing this centralized hub, MECA emphasizes its commitment to career development and community involvement, further strengthening the connection between the cooperatives and the people they serve.
The introduction of the Resource Directory app and the centralized career opportunities platform exemplifies MECA’s commitment to innovation and community engagement. These advancements have streamlined communication efforts among its member cooperatives, while significantly improving accessibility and connectivity for the communities they serve. This strategic overhaul has effectively positioned MECA as a modern, forward-thinking association, ready to meet the evolving needs of its members and continue its vital role in serving Montana communities.
Challenges
MECA faced a significant challenge in improving internal communication across its diverse membership spread throughout Montana. The primary goal was to facilitate efficient communication among various internal groups such as managers, accountants, engineers, member services and more. Each department brought its own unique communication needs to the table.Solutions
In response, Powerful implemented an online discussion board. This system established distinct discussion boards for each professional group. For instance, engineers had their own board where technical discussions could take place, while member services staff had a separate space for customer-oriented topics. This structure allows for focused, role-specific conversations, avoiding the overlap and confusion of a one-size-fits-all approach. Additionally, Powerful incorporated an email notification feature to keep members promptly informed about new discussions in their respective boards, further enhancing engagement and responsiveness.Results
MECA's discussion board significantly improves internal communication by streamlining role-specific conversations. Professionals in various roles are now able to engage in more relevant and productive discussions, enhancing collaboration and knowledge across the statewide cooperative network. This communication-focused approach facilitates quicker problem-solving as employees have direct access to team support. As a result, the discussion board boosts MECA's operational efficiency. Additionally, it helps in building a more connected and informed team, creating a stronger organizational culture.Mobile gallery
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Quotes
Team Comments
MECA's discussion board helps to facilitate communication regarding questions and issues which may pertain to several of the discussion group members. The nature of the discussion board format allows for meaningful dialogue to exist over a duration of time that would perhaps otherwise be unavailable due to constraints in schedule or location.
Forum / Listerv Development
I am proud of our team's commitment to simplicity and cleanliness in Montana Electric Cooperatives' Association website design. Our intentional approach aimed to create a visitor-friendly and visually appealing platform, ensuring a seamless and enjoyable experience for visitors. Our team did a fantastic job on this site!
Project Manager
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