There are plenty of membership management systems on the market, so how can you choose? The fact is that all systems – regardless of whether they are bespoke or off-the-shelf, locally hosted or available on the cloud – should have these five features.
1. Flexibility
Your system must be able to flex and grow with your membership business. The wrong system will stop you from evolving your business model in the way that you want it to – something that will quickly see you lose competitive advantage. Your tech choice should never hold you back, so invest in a system that can be configured so that it continues to grow and support you at each decision point. To help ensure this is in place, choose a system with a guaranteed path for upgrades so that you can add new modules, upgrade where necessary and avoid any expensive core rebuilds.
2. Simplicity
Naturally, your choice of membership management software should be easy to use and not put your administrators off. It should be intuitive and have a user-friendly interface. Make sure any new internal person could get to grips with it quickly.
3. Access
Most modern systems are cloud-deployed so that anyone can access them from home or on the move. A cloud system will let your staff use the database when visiting a member, working remotely, at a trade show or conference, or wherever they need to conduct business. Find out more at ofec.co.uk/web-and-software-development-services/membership-management-systems.aspx.
4. Great Reporting
You can have a system with a central point of membership data or integrate your association management system with another system via an API. So check with your vendor that you have this flexibility and understand the implications. You want to make sure you can easily run off custom reports when you need them.
5. Core Application Support
Your membership management system should be the system that everyone uses in the business. This could include features such as product management, surveys, CRM, fundraising, grant applications, and more. Pick one that either allows you to do this centrally or link via API to another system that already does it for you.
Use these considerations to guide your choice of membership software and you can look forward to a more efficient and successful business.
