MetroAction IT Implementation Project Measures Impact

MetroAction, a non-profit, community development organization dedicated to providing small business loans and business development assistance throughout northeastern Pennsylvania (NEPA), has been approved for an IT implementation grant from the Center for eBusiness and Advanced IT (eBizITPA). The grant will provide funding assistance to develop a custom impact data management application.

(PRWEB) January 7, 2009 -- MetroAction, a non-profit, community development organization dedicated to providing small business loans and business development assistance throughout northeastern Pennsylvania (NEPA), has been approved for an IT implementation grant from the Center for eBusiness and Advanced IT (eBizITPA). The grant will provide funding assistance to develop a custom impact data management application.

MetroAction provides financing and technical assistance to start-up and expanding small businesses in eight counties in NEPA. For the past eleven years, MetroAction has been diligently collecting impact data from its clients. Currently, MetroAction staff processes this information manually.

"The process we currently use to collect, manage and analyze data is extremely time consuming and does not produce a significant amount of valuable data," said Christina Hitchcock, Business Development Administrator for MetroAction. "This custom impact data management application will allow up to make more informed decisions regarding our programs and ultimately, allow us to better server our clients."

One of the focus areas of eBizITPA's IT implementation efforts is its IT Kickstart program. IT Kickstart is a reimbursement grant program for small and medium-sized enterprises (SME's) in Pennsylvania. The goal of the program is to encourage SME's to invest in technology projects within their own organizations that will increase efficiency and make them more competitive.

"We recently launched our IT Kickstart program in NEPA and are happy to announce MetroAction as one of the first grant recipients," said Ron May, Director of IT Programs for eBizITPA. "MetroAction was clearly able to prove the profound effect this implementation will have on their organization, ultimately benefiting countless companies in NEPA. We are looking forward to seeing the results of this project."

To date, eBizITPA's IT Kickstart program has assisted well over 300 companies across Pennsylvania with staggering results. The program has stimulated over $9 million dollars of private investment and companies have attributed over 100 new positions because of the results these implementation projects have had on their business.

The Center for eBusiness and Advanced Information Technology (eBizITPA) is headquartered in Erie, Pa., and is dedicated to driving technology commercialization and business growth in Pennsylvania.

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