January, 2012 Archives

Why I don’t recommend parallel processing

Every so often, a client of mine will ask me about parallel processing. Generally they'll ask something like "How long should we be running both our current AMS and our new AMS in parallel?" My answer is always "Don't bother with parallel processing." Here are three reasons: Staff never ...

Interview with Richard Davis of Avectra

This is the first in my 2012 series of podcast interviews that I’ve been conducting with CEOs from providers of association management software. Today’s interview is with Richard Davis, Chairman and CEO of Avectra. In this interview we discuss Avectra's new technology, A-Score, and how ...

Don’t you know who I am?!?

I recently received an online survey from a free newsletter that I subscribe to. The very first question asked me how long I'd been a subscriber. What? You're asking me how long I've been a subscriber? Don't you have that data? I can't tell you how many times I've seen my clients ask similar ...

The challenge for Business Development managers using an AMS

One of the most common gripes I hear when I talk with business development staff within associations is that they don't have enough time to enter data, and therefore don't use the database. I think there are several things going on here: The system they are using MIGHT BE cumbersome. They've ...

Attention vendors! Check your work! – A lesson we can all learn

I'm conducting a search for a new AMS on behalf of one of my clients. We requested responses, including pricing, from five vendors. Of the five vendors responses, THREE of them had mathematical errors in their proposals. Ironically, the only area of the entire proposal that I can judge for absolute ...

New Article Posted – Seven Steps for Selecting a New Association Management System

I’ve posted a new article on my website. Although every system selection process has its nuances (over the past dozen years I’ve completed nearly a hundred with my clients), there are generally seven steps that I follow for helping associations select a new association management system ...

Things I heard at ASAE Tech Conference VII – Data you should NOT collect

At the session I presented at the ASAE Technology Conference last month, one of the points I made was that you should never collect data you're not going to use. Seems obvious enough, but I still see many of my clients collecting data out of habit: "Oh, we've always asked for their highest degree ...

Things I heard at ASAE Tech Conference VI – Training

A session attendee at the Tech Conference said (I paraphrase): "In all the proposals I've received from AMS vendors, the amount of training proposed seems ridiculously low to me. Why do the vendors underbid on the training aspect of their product?" I invite the vendors to respond here, but I ...

Things I heard at ASAE Tech Conference V – Testing plans

During one session I attended at the ASAE Tech Conference, the issue arose of testing in the AMS during implementation. Testing is a key step during the implementation of a new AMS. After all, you either test the system before you launch it (with test case scenarios, discussed below) or you test ...

Things I heard at ASAE Tech Conference IV – How to deal with the fear and pain of a new AMS

At one session I attended, an audience member asked the question quite plaintively: "How do we deal with the fear and pain of selecting a new association management system?" First, you're not going to eliminate the fear. People will be worried/concerned/scared. You can't change that. Second, ...