Association leaders: Here’s how to involve a cross-functional team in each step of the AMS implementation process to help ensure a successful project.

Association management software (AMS) allows your organization to consolidate data and processes into a single tool, while eliminating much of the work associated with manual data entry, multiple databases, and other redundant and time-consuming aspects of running an association. Because an AMS system impacts every aspect of the organization, it stands to reason that all of your various departments hold a stake in the AMS and should have a role in the planning and implementation stages of a new AMS implementation.

As a leader of a large and complex organization, it’s important for you to engage stakeholders across your organization in each stage of the AMS implementation project. Doing so helps to ensure that the new system meets the most needs of the entire organization and encourages buy-in and adoption of the new software.

Tips for your AMS system selection.

How to Find Your Next Association Management Software (AMS).

Involving your entire team for a successful AMS implementation

There are five phases in implementing association management software:

1. The discovery and design phase

2. The building phase

3. The validation phase

4. The deployment phase

5. The post-production phase

Let’s look at each phase of the AMS implementation process, how much time to carve out for each phase, and how to involve staff across your organization in the entire process.

The discovery and design phase

The first phase of implementing a new AMS system is the discovery and design phase. This phase involves the process of mapping out the functional requirements of your system.

Presumably, you will have already pulled together a cross-departmental team – including staff from your IT, membership, marketing, finance, and other departments – to select your new AMS. This software selection team should have collected input from departments across your organization to develop a list of must-have functionality in your new AMS system.

Now, in the discovery and design phase, you will need a team to help ensure that the functional requirements are further defined and designed into the AMS you have chosen. While the team might not involve exactly the same people as the AMS selection team, it can be helpful to include some of the same team members for continuity.

TIP: Aptify association management software provides a wide range of applications in one system to support large, complex associations. It includes product modules to help you manage everything from memberships, customer relationships, marketing, and meetings to e-commerce, accounting, inventory, reporting, and analytics. And, you can easily add functionality as you need it.

On average, it takes about three months to complete this phase. Your team should plan to participate in the following activities during this time:

  • Discovery meetings to develop a functional requirements document, which outlines business requirements for the AMS
  • Development of a solution design document with the AMS vendor, based on the functional requirements document, which describes how to utilize the AMS software to meet the organization’s requirements
  • Decision making about how to handle the data conversion process
  • Identification of risks and obstacles that could slow or halt progress on the AMS implementation project
  • Development of an AMS implementation plan with the software vendor to determine specific deliverables and a timeline

The building phase

The goal of this phase is to ensure that the deliverables of the AMS implementation match the specifications determined in the discovery and design phase. The building phase involves developing, initial testing, and demonstrating the system to stakeholders in your organization, so it can help to have the same people involved in this phase that were involved in the discovery and design phase.

This phase is usually the longest part of the AMS implementation process. It generally takes about four months but may take more or less time depending on your organization’s specific needs.

The validation phase

This phase focuses on ensuring that the AMS system works the way the organization expects it to work. It’s sometimes called user acceptance testing and involves testing of the new AMS implementation. Problems can be identified and corrected in this phase more easily than after the entire implementation process is finalized.

This phase isn’t as long as the building phase, usually taking about three months.

The deployment phase

This phase involves launching the system into production. It requires help from various stakeholders in your organization, not just your AMS selection and implementation teams. It includes testing, training, and setting up a practice go-live before the AMS is placed into actual production. It also involves the actual process of go-live.

This phase usually takes between two and three months.

The post-production phase

Your entire organization will likely continue to need additional training and support after go-live. Your own IT team should work closely with your AMS vendor to handle any questions or issues that arise during this phase, which typically lasts about two months.

TIP: Aptify sets customers up for success through helpful resources, including a help site and product knowledgebase, multiple training options, a robust user community, and customer support. Aptify also builds staff training into the implementation process.

Find and implement the right AMS for your organization

With the right AMS, you can help to ensure your association is ready to grow and thrive. Aptify is built for large and complex organizations like yours. It’s configurable, flexible, and powerful software that fits the way your organization works.

Take the next steps to find and implement the right AMS for your organization. Request a demo of Aptify.

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