Merlin’s Magic Wand
About Merlin's Magic Wand
Merlin's Magic Wand is a global children's charity that creates magical experiences for children in need. Through initiatives like Magical Days Out, Magic on Tour, and Magic Spaces, the charity ensures that children facing adversity can enjoy unforgettable experiences at Merlin Entertainment attractions worldwide.
Their Teams Challenge With Systems
Merlin's Magic Wand faced significant operational inefficiencies, relying on manual spreadsheets and email processes to manage thousands of ticket applications.
The team juggled over 20 spreadsheet tabs, flicked between Outlook and Spreadsheets to manually track applications, processing approvals, and sending out tickets-consuming valuable time that could be spent creating more magical moments for children.
"We were using multiple Excel spreadsheets, Outlook and lots of documents for everything, from processing applications to sending out tickets. It was laborious and time-consuming. We needed a more streamlined system to help more children faster, without increasing the size of our team."
Elin Parry, Magical Days Out Co-Ordinator, Merlin's Magic Wand
Merlin's Magic Wand Pain Points
Merlin's Magic Wand needed a way to overcome inefficiencies, eliminate manual processes, and scale their impact to help more children.
Their reliance on outdated systems created bottlenecks, slowing down application processing and limiting their ability to serve families efficiently.
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Time-consuming manual processes
- Manually sending approvals and documents through Outlook created bottlenecks.
- Data had to be re-entered multiple times across different spreadsheets, increasing the risk of errors.
- Tracking applications was inconsistent, making it difficult to prioritise urgent cases.
- Team members had to switch between Outlook, spreadsheets, and multiple systems when looking to answer queries or gift Magical Days Out, slowing response times.
- Manually sending approvals and documents through Outlook created bottlenecks.
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Scaling was impossible with existing tools
- With 20,000 applications per year, the team struggled to keep up.
- Handling spikes in demand became overwhelming.
- There was no way to efficiently report on application statuses or trends, leading to delays in decision-making.
- The lack of a scalable system meant expansion was limited by administrative constraints.
- With 20,000 applications per year, the team struggled to keep up.
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Lack of automation and centralisation
No single system to track applications, approvals, and ticket distributions.
Essential guest information had to be manually entered into each document.
Team members had to rely on email threads to verify application status, causing delays.
Important data insights were lost due to fragmented systems.
The need to cross-check multiple platforms resulted in longer response times for families and schools.
The Solution: A Seamless, Automated System
Hyphen8 worked with the team to understand exactly what they needed so their Salesforce Platform would be suited to their organisations needs, and give them the automation, impact and tools they needed to do their impactful work.
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A fully integrated Salesforce solution
Hyphen8 built a centralised system to manage applications, approvals, and communications-all in one place.
The team can now easily track applications, approvals, and interactions in real-time.
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Automated processes for efficiency
Application data is automatically captured via FormAssembly and flows directly into Salesforce.
Instant document generation eliminates the need for manual email approvals.
Approvals and rejections are processed seamlessly, ensuring faster response times.
Data validation rules reduce input errors and improve reporting accuracy.
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Smarter workflows for smoother operations
Families receive pre-filled, personalised documents with all necessary details.
All programs, tickets, and communications are now automated and tracked in real-time.
Dashboards provide instant visibility into application trends and program impact.
Automated reminders ensure families and schools never miss important deadlines.
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One central source of truth
- One central system for the entire team to use, saying goodbye to 20 + tabs in multiple spreadsheets, and many back and forth processes.
- No more cross-checking with Outlook, everything is in one Salesforce record.
- All data flows into reports on one system, making measuring their impact easy.
- One central system for the entire team to use, saying goodbye to 20 + tabs in multiple spreadsheets, and many back and forth processes.
Meet Elin
Hear more about the impact of Salesforce and Hyphen8 from Elin herself.
Here, Elin describes the impacts of having a new platform on Merlin's Magic Wand.
The Impact of working with Hyphen8
The Impact
Merlin's Magic Wand has completely transformed its operations with Salesforce and Hyphen8.
The charity can now handle high volumes of applications without delays, ensuring children and families experience magical moments faster and more efficiently. With automation reducing admin time and streamlining processes, the team can dedicate more energy to expanding their impact and bringing joy to even more children.
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20,000+ hours saved annually
Automation eliminated tedious admin tasks, freeing up time for the team to focus on their mission.
Faster processing times mean families receive confirmations much quicker. The team have all cases allocated on Salesforce and applications, ticket allocation and ticket codes are all stored or sent from the system
Reduced reliance on emails and spreadsheets leads to fewer errors and greater efficiency.
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More magical experiences for children
With applications processed faster, more children get to enjoy special days out, increasing income.
Increased efficiency allows the charity to expand their reach and help more families increasing the organisations impact by 5,000 extra families per year.
Improved communication with families ensures they have all the information they need for their visits.
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A system built for growth
The charity can now handle high demand without stress, ensuring every child has a chance to experience magic.
Custom reporting enables better decision-making and planning for future growth.
The scalable system means Merlin's Magic Wand can continue expanding their impact without increasing administrative burdens.
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One single system and source of truth
- One system replacing 20 means they only need to log in to one place to work, making it better for staff.
- All data is in one place, which means it can all be used for reporting.
- The team can easily share reports as downloads into Excel if needed, or PDFs for board papers or exec meetings.
- One system replacing 20 means they only need to log in to one place to work, making it better for staff.
Making an impact
"We needed a system that could scale with us. Hyphen8's expertise in the nonprofit space made them the perfect partner. Now, everything is centralised, automated, and ready to grow with us."
Elin Parry, Magical Programs Manager
Why Did You Choose Salesforce and Hyphen8?
"We knew in order to grow, without massively increasing headcount we needed to invest in a solution that would meet our needs, but also be simple to use.
We needed a system that could not only manage our applications but also automate processes and integrate our various programs into one platform," Elin explained.
"Hyphen8 came highly recommended, and their deep understanding of the nonprofit sector made them the perfect partner for our digital transformation."
Merlins Magic Wand
Elin Shared: "Salesforce has revoluntionised the team's work, from the way we are able to have things automated, to the time savings, which ultimately results in us granting more Magic Days Out. It's been a game-changer!
Thank you so much Hyphen8, I would recommend you to any nonprofit wanting to scale their impact and save time."
