I’ve written a lot in this space about social technologies and how they can benefit your organization. But as we’re all interacting “in the cloud” (i.e. online), are you neglecting the backbone of your organization: your database?

Of course, no organization would function smoothly without an organized, up-to-date database. It helps target your marketing and can improve customer service and member relations. Don’t let your database languish in the pre-Web era – there’s nothing wrong with keeping information in the cloud. There are many, many association management software companies and although initial costs may seem high, using a third party vendor can save you a ton of time and money down the road.

An old issue of Associations Now had a great article about cloud computing. I thought the inset about five “critical considerations” had great advice. It’s crucial to get information in writing from your vendor about disaster recovery, security and risk management. Additionally, if you’re going to be using your system for payment processing, be sure it is PCI Compliant so you don’t end up with fees from credit card companies.

There are tons of benefits to using an online software system that is tailored for associations. Just a few include:

1. If some staffers telecommute or travel a lot, they’ll be able to access your database from anywhere
2. The vendor will take care of updating the system for you, rather than your organization having to manage updates
3. Research, development, design are included with a Software-as-a-Service 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.
4. Scale up or scale down easily. Many vendors offer different features in their products that can be turned on or off at any time.
5. Associations will require fewer IT staffers.

Although it’s important to keep back-up copies of your data in case of an emergency, our culture is rapidly moving toward a system of keeping all our information in the cloud. Why should your data be any different?

(Image via Flickr.)

Happy Friday! Do you have a long weekend thanks to Presidents Day? If you do, I hope you’re planning on doing something fun! Without any further adieu, here are a few of my favorite posts from around the association blogosphere!

1. Wes Trochlil posted a new article this week about the skills required of a database manager. The database manager has to ensure that all the information is collected and understand the business of the association — two tasks that can be complicated. In addition to business acumen and  technical skills, Wes writes, the database manager should have stellar communication skills.

2. David M. Patt discussed the necessity of websites, even in the age of Facebook. Facebook is not a substitute for your association’s website, and it should not be treated as such. David writes, each association is different and should have a strategy suited to its unique needs.

3. Eric Lanke wrote about the importance of letting your bosses and senior managers know that you’re working hard. Send e-mails early and late, be in the office as much as you can, volunteer for everything. If you don’t have natural authority in the office, demand it through your actions. (Maybe “demand” is too strong a word.)

4. Kerry Stackpole discussed innovation and how failure (or success) can be reached quickly. Which innovation does one embrace? In a world of increasingly scarce resources, organization leaders are faced with a dizzying array of choices. Cloud computing or proprietary databases? So many choices can be tough.

5. This week’s edition of Jeffrey Cufaude’s Leadership Limerick dealt with what to do when it’s time to move on. When our work—be it career or volunteer—starts to be little more than a negative drain of energy and emotion, it’s time to make a change before we become a negative drain on others. Wise words.

From everyone at MemberClicks, have a great weekend!

Elyse Savaki, a MemberClicks solution adviser, shared her notes from a session at ASAE’s Annual Meeting and Expo titled Get Your Data Under Control, which was presented by Kevin Conley, Wes Trochlil and Denise Streszoff.

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 training is 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.

Image source

How organized is your data?

I was reading Wes Trochlil’s latest article, Why Benchmarks Matter, and it struck a chord with me.

For one thing, you can’t improve your data management system if you have no set benchmarks. There has to be something already started if you want to improve upon it. Wes gives a few great starting points for keeping track of actions within your database.

For another thing, how organized is your database currently? What do you keep track of? More data isn’t necessarily better, but the more useful the data you track is, the better.

Do you keep track of those members who are active in listservs? Those who consistently volunteer? The amount of time it takes to process new memberships?

My two cents?

Know who your most active members are. Who participates in studies or focus groups? Who are the active volunteers and leaders? These people can be the evangelists to other members. They can be the ones to step up and help the organization institute changes.

Use your data and implement changes based on your findings. There’s no point in all this data collection unless you actually do something with the information.

Stop collecting data you don’t use. It’s a waste of space and a waste of time. Do you need to know how long someone’s been in their current job or the size of the company they’re with. Perhaps. But be sure there’s a clear reason for your data collection.

Technology can help you keep track of many things, but having a disorganized database is definitely not ideal. The technology can only help you so much – you have to be able to put it to good use.

Photo credit: Flickr

By Hannae Berhanu, MemberClicks solutions adviser

If you ask most association professionals what their biggest goal is for 2010, most will tell you it is growing their membership base — and that sounds like the obvious answer.

Most will do that by sending out a few more blast e-mails, maybe holding one more event that year or recruiting more student members. However, there is a trend that generally falls under the radar that has a pretty large affect on membership growth.  Demassification is one of the eight Super-Trends facing associations, and it has been written about in ASAE’s most recent environmental scanning project, “Mapping the Future of Your Association.”

What is demassification? (I asked myself the same question.) Simply put, demassification is the breaking up of a larger organization into smaller independent groups.

This is a growing trend, and it makes sense when you think about it. After all, we are in the Google/Twitter era. We are currently in a time when people use the Web to both get and publish information at the touch of a button.

Think about your last Google search. All you had to do was type in the first few letters on your topic, and you are presented with not only with your original topic, but the top 20 pertinent web sites. We have come to expect our information to get to us quickly and — here’s the difficult part — for it to apply to our specific needs and interests.

The first step in the right direction will be to get rid of that “one size fits all” mentality. The key to making sure that you are really able to zero in on those needs is right in your database. Here are a few easy steps to make sure you’re efficiently meeting the needs of your members:

1. Take a look at your data. Most of what you need to grow/retain/keep your association in one place can be found right there. It is important to be able to identify all of your membership interests, and use that information to plan out what breakout sessions you have at your conference, or recruit a volunteer to give a webinar on a topic.
2. Make every communication a valuable one. There is a lot of value to forgoing a blast email to the entire membership, and focusing in on specific groups, with a message that speaks to their specific needs. Keep in mind those e-mails are your voice to your membership.
3. Create an area where members can contribute their own content. One of the easiest ways to keep your members engaged is allowing them to communicate with each other.

You can’t prevent demassification, but know that it can be a positive thing for your association to experience. All members have different needs, and they want to be engaged on a more personal level. Smaller organizations targeted toward specific interests often can more easily meet those requirements.

Demassification can benefit your organization in the long run. You’ll know the members who stick around are truly focused on your own association’s broader focus and you won’t be pulled in every which way to fulfill every specific need. Don’t fear it — embrace it!