Time-Saving
Save Untold Hours with the Right AMS
An association management software should free up time for both administrators and members. Much of the time-saving will come from the fact that many processes, which used to be manual, will now be automated. However, another feature your AMS should provide, which will eliminate duplication of effort, is API functionality. API stands for “Application Programming Interfaces” and is just a fancy way of saying that one system can speak with another seamlessly. If your membership management software can share information with the other programs you use to manage your operations, it will prevent the need to dip in and out of different systems to enter the same data.
With the right association management software, you can really make your organization lean and mean. A comprehensive AMS will allow your administrators / registrars to maximize their time and efforts through the efficiencies a strong system provides. Manually conducting association management can be lethargic and terribly disorganized – through no fault of those attempting to oversee the many comings and goings of a growing membership. There are just too many moving parts to effectively survey such a large entity without the support of a reliable, no-nonsense member management system.
What are the features to look out for when choosing your AMS, to ensure you get the most time-saving benefits out of your system? Below are some of the key features that will empower your association administrators to be more efficient with ease.
- Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)
- This is a must. Whatever association management system you invest in, make sure it is API-capable. What is an API? Very simply, it is functionality built into the system which will allow it to connect to and share with other process systems already used within your organization. For example, you may have a favourite accounting software for processing membership dues. The AMS you take on should be able to seamlessly plug into that accounting software, so any payment information can be automatically shared from the AMS to the accounting software, so the administrator doesn’t need to process payments both in the AMS and then again in the accounting software. APIs eliminate duplication of effort which, of course, will save your organization large amounts of time and money.
- Self-Servicing Member Registration
- A worthy membership management software will feature an easy-to-use registration portal. It should be so simple that prospective members will be capable of signing themselves up to the AMS without any instruction at all. A new member’s ability to self-service their own registration will considerably lighten the load of administrators when onboarding people to the association management system. All they’ll really need to do is welcome them warmly to the association – no fuss, no muss.
- Automated Member Renewals
- Once someone becomes a member of your AMS, they should have the option to toggle automatic renewal of their membership (for when it expires). When automatic membership renewal is selected, both the member and the administrator will not need to worry about doing any of the processing necessary to re-up membership – the association management software will take care of it. Automated renewal will make it so administrators do not have to meticulously track each member throughout their registration lifecycle or manually re-process membership dues.
- Easy Access Directories
- Intuitive pathways toward member profiles and reference material is key in giving administrators quick access to relevant information. Time will be wasted if your AMS is convoluted. When an administrator has to go on a scavenger hunt to find the information they are looking for, it goes without saying that your association management software is hampering efficiency.
- Automated Mailing System
- Your entire association or specific member groups can be targeted with email send-outs. Sharing information from the association to the membership can be done quickly by automating who you wish to receive specific info and when you want them to receive it. This makes things a lot smoother than having to manually select each recipient when sending emails.
- Automated Event Updates
- Dealing with the logistics of an event, no matter the size, can be time consuming and difficult to manage effectively – especially when circumstances change. If, for whatever reason, the date, time or location of your event has to be shifted or switched, the changes will be conveyed to those members registered to the event automatically through your AMS – without the administrator having to track each registrant down, one by one, to provide them with the specifics of the update.
- Technical Support
- Administrators should be left to administrate – not made to troubleshoot technical issues or manipulate website content. When you implement an association management software that is backed and supported by the provider, AMS administrators will be freed from having to feel ill-equipped by fielding questions from their members regarding technical problems. They will be empowered to continue managing their members while the AMS provider directly interacts with member users to resolve any issues they may have. Also, any changes that need to be made to the association’s website can be completed by the AMS provider. Tech. support should not be placed inside an administrator’s job description.
Harnessing a well-established member management software will allow your administrators to maximize their efforts and hone their focus on growing the association into the future – exactly what they should be empowered to do. Don’t let manual processes or a haphazard AMS hinder your progress. Make your solution do the leg work so your association can get ahead.
