- Identify Your Stakeholders
- Determine Your Key Requirements
- Set Your Budget
1. Identify & Engage Your Stakeholders
Go beyond the internal roles of how staff engages with your AMS. Look at how external stakeholders interact with your AMS. Your list may contain board members, new members and sponsors. Consider creating focus groups to explore questions such as…
| What are they looking for? | How do they currently get it? | In its current state, what do they like or don’t like? | How can it be improved? | What do you need for the AMS system to do? |
2. Determine Your Key Requirements/Features
Before you begin searching for a new association management system, determine your association needs and how an AMS can meet those needs. It is important to distinguish what your key stakeholders want versus what the organization needs.
| Requirement | Requested by which stakeholder(s) | Is it Needed by the Organization (Scale 1 to 3) | Does your existing system meet requirement (Scale 1 to 3) |
| Not NeededNeededOrganization cannot function without it | NoSomewhatYes | ||
| Not NeededNeededOrganization cannot function without it | NoSomewhatYes |
Aplusify’s Recommended Reads
Salesforce Trailhead
Prepare for Your Implementation
https://trailhead.salesforce.com/en/content/learn/modules/nonprofit-success-pack-administration-basics/prepare-for-your-implementation?trail_id=nonprofit_fundraising
Fonteva’s
5 Association Management Database Features to Know
https://associations.fonteva.com/association-management-database/
3. Make A Budget
What comes first? The chicken or the egg? The cost of an AMS or what can your organization afford? Knowing what amount your organization can allocate towards an AMS can help guide to systems that are within your budget and eliminate the ones that you cannot maintain. When allocating funds for an AMS, consider what factors go into the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).
Acquisition Costs
+ Implementation Costs
+ Maintenance & Support Costs
===========================
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
Aplusify’s Recommended Reads
Technology: Understanding the Total Cost of Ownership
Salesforce Blog: WILL NOURSE
https://www.salesforce.com/blog/2014/04/technology-cost-ownership-gp.html
Check out our latest Webinar: Setting You up for Success: Finding the Right AMS for your Association
