Your organization’s data can be extremely powerful if you know how to properly harness it. Be sure you’re only keeping track of fields and guidelines you actually need. Not only create, but also executive data integrity reports. Formal trainingis absolutely necessary to be sure your organization knows how to properly use its database.

For training purposes, create a test environment. Many association management software companies will do this if they offer implementation and training. Additionally, integrating your AMS with your e-mail client (such as Outlook) can be extremely beneficial and save you a lot of time. Create one “source of truth” for your organization by eliminating shadow systems and redundant databases. Having to sort through duplicate information will only lead to frustration, and if you’re a small staff association professional, you need your AMS to save you time, not create more headaches.

Many organizations find it useful to track all volunteer activity — even non-financial and non-volunteer activity and interactions. You can use your “Notes” field to track all of your interactions with individuals, whether on a formal volunteer basis or not.

Be sure to properly utilize the tags feature. If you tag everything by topic, you should have little to no trouble finding data at a later date. By setting realistic benchmarks for data accuracy (such as performing an integrity report at regular intervals), you will ensure that your database continues to be as powerful as possible. It truly can be the backbone of your organization, if you’ll let it.

One major thing that stuck with Elyse was “Pursue success, not perception.” A database can be deceptively organized and almost tidy-looking, but if you can’t find information easily, or if you’re not tracking the right things, it can be a huge mess and a lot to sort through. And as a small staff association professional, you need your database to save you time, money and frustration.

We’ve been closely following the #tech11 hashtag on Twitter since the Technology Conference began – while participating in the conference ourselves, of course! (Be sure to follow our fearless leader, Mark Sedgley on Twitter: @segemite.)

There are two great ideas and concepts we ‘d like to pass on to you.

When thinking about your association’s mobile presence, assume everyone has just one eyeball and one thumb. People check their phones while waiting on lines, when they have a few minutes to spare here and there and yes, while stuck in traffic. I rarely – if ever – am fully, 100% engaged with the content I’m getting on my phone, so make sure yours is easily digestible.

Collect Twitter handles in your AMS. This will make your association’s members easy to find online and give you an automatic list of people to follow. As a matter of fact, collect any social media profiles and information about your members that you think would be useful.

What’s the best thing you’ve learned at the Technology Conference so far?

Every organization has different needs, and I think it’s important to remember that the reason there are so many different options on the market is to fit a variety of needs. If there was just one solution for every organization, it would likely be full of bugs and there’s no way it would be able to comprehensively meet everyone’s needs. Additionally, some organizations want more features from their AMS than others, every organization is a different size … the list goes on and on.

Suffice it to say that, although it can be overwhelming for your organization to choose an AMS, it’s definitely a good thing to have a few different options. Here are a few guidelines to consider when choosing an AMS.

1. Who’s involved? Who in your organization is going to be involved in the shopping process? If your organization is very small (fewer than five or 10 staffers), perhaps everyone should be involved. But who will be regularly using or be affected by the product?

2. How long will it take? Define a timeline for evaluating, implementing and launching the new system. Take things into account such as your upcoming events, membership drive and renewal period – the AMS may be able to streamline those processes. Set date ranges for discovery, demonstrations, questions, decision-making and going live.

3. What do you need? Put together and prioritize a list of all requirements, wish list items and goals that you hope the new AMS will address. Be sure to consult with your organization’s administrators to see what pain points they’re experiencing, and clearly differentiate between the wish-list and must-have items.

4. What can you afford? Factor in the time and human resources the new AMS may save, or even the new revenue streams, such as sponsorship or job board revenue, the new AMS may generate.

5. Who’s out there? Learn abut the different AMS vendors that are in the market. Create a short list. Reach out to similar organizations to see what vendor they are using. Contact ASAE for a list of AMS vendors or use its Buyers’ Guide to search for vendors that meet your needs.

6. Talk to the vendors. Of course, reach out to a list of vendors to get more information. Schedule a time to review your needs, requirements and business challenges.

7. See it in action. Schedule an online demo to see the solution in action. If possible, get your organization’s evaluating committee to participate in the demo, which will help streamline the process.

8. Ask the right question. In addition to exploring the software’s features during the evaluation process, there are so many additional questions you should ask the vendor.

- What is included in the setup?
- What does the implementation process entail, and how long does it take?
- Are product updates included or must you upgrade the software to receive updated features?
- How often is the product updated?
- What technical support and training is included and what are those charges?
- How secure and reliable is the software?
- What additional hardware or software is needed for installation?
- How many admin licenses are included?
- Who hosts the software?
- Who owns the data and website – the client or the vendor?
- What are the vendor’s terms of cancellation?
- If you’re looking at web design as part of the AMS solution, does the vendor use stock templates or is the website custom-designed?
- How does the vendor handle payment processing? Is the vendor PCI Compliant?

There are a great deal of factors to consider when choosing a new AMS. The good new is, with so many options on the market, there’s bound to be a vendor that best fits your organization’s needs.

Technology can be intimidating. We understand that here at MemberClicks. And the less people you have on staff to manage your data, the more intimidating it can be.

But before you even start looking at vendors and developers, there’s one big question: custom solutions or software-as-a-service (SaaS).

Custom solutions involve hiring a developer (or team of developers) to put together a program or database to keep track of your information. Software-as-a-Service involves vendors or providers licensing a piece of software to your organization and often they house your data on their own servers. Many are contract-based or monthly-based.

For the sake of comparison, I’ve compiled a list of things small-staff associations should keep in mind regarding each option.

Updates

• Many SaaS vendors include updates free of charge or for a small fee. The upgrades are released to all customers, and don’t require a custom job for your organization.
• A custom software solution usually doesn’t include upgrades — and they have to be created from scratch. Getting a custom solution upgraded often entails more time and money than your organization may be willing to spend.

Compatibility

• SaaS functions “in the cloud” — that is, your organization’s data is based in the Web. If you upgrade your Windows or Mac software, you won’t have to upgrade your data management solution along with it.
• Custom solutions are often tailored for just one (or a few) versions of Windows or Macintosh. Every program has a life cycle, and when your Windows or Mac software expires, your custom program probably won’t be far behind.

Support

• Your SaaS vendor will probably be around for quite a long time — and often, support is included or very affordable.
• Who’s to say your custom developer will always be around? Technology changes, so make sure your developer is ready to keep up with your needs.

Cost

• Research, development, design — all are included with a SaaS vendor because they serve so many different organizations. The vendor will be able to give you the lowest possible quote thanks to economies of scale.
• Your organization will probably have to pay for the entire project from start to finish, including development and programming costs.

It should go without saying, but every organization’s needs are different. Having a custom solution developed for your organization may be the right option, but there are already so many SaaS vendors out there. Chances are, one of them will be the right fit for your organization.

Happy Friday! We’re halfway through Small Staff Appreciation Month — have you entered our daily giveaway yet? You only have to enter once, and we’re announcing the daily winner each afternoon on Twitter. You could win a Small Staffs Rule T-shirt, a Small Staff care package ($100 worth of gift cards to Amazon, Office Max, Starbucks and Visa) and our grand prize, a 15″ MacBook Pro!

As usual though, there were lots of awesome things to share in the association community this week. Here are a few of my favorites; feel free to share yours in the comments!

1. Joseph Sapp discussed what website stats to share with your board. He wrote about what caused a spike in website traffic in September, and how the membership can better take advantage of the site. These are the things that matter to most boards — you have to be able to deduce patterns in your website stats and what might cause anomalies.

2. At the Effective Database Management blog, Wes Trochlil pointed out that more functionality requests for your AMS is a good thing — it means your staff is actually using the AMS. Speaking from experience, we love hearing suggestions from our customers so we can better improve our product. Are your users engaged, or do they ignore the system?

3. After finishing Peter Miller’s The Smart Swarm, Jeff Cobb was inspired to discuss 10 lessons he learned, and I think it’s a good read for small staff association professionals. Don’t be afraid of a friendly competition of ideas or recognizing the limits of human intuition.

4. Scott Briscoe at the Acronym blog pointed out this week that people aren’t perfect — something we all know, but rarely acknowledge during a disagreement or networking. Do you design your products, meetings, literature, learning sessions and activities for emotional responses rather than rational? Most people are emotional far more often than they’re rational.

5. Deirdre Reid demonstrate her aptitude for social media this week with her post on social media monitoring. I think this one is an extremely important read for small staff association professionals who may not think they have the time or resources to listen in the social space. But whether your organization is involved in social media, you should be listening.

From everyone at MemberClicks, have a fantastic weekend!