So, you’ve narrowed your search for new association management software (AMS) to those built on Salesforce. Great choice! AMS solutions built on Salesforce provide association–specific functionality and the power of leading Customer Relationship Mangement (CRM) tools so you can streamline member management and empower your staff.
Salesforce-based AMS platforms have many organizational benefits. However, not all Salesforce-based AMS solutions are built the same. Keep reading to discover four factors your association needs in its next Salesforce-based association management software.
4 powerful benefits of a Salesforce-based AMS
As you make your final selection for which association management software works best for your organization, you’ll want to consider these four important factors:
1. Data models
As you research the right Salesforce-based AMS for your organization, you’ll want to consider how the system will help organize and manage your membership models. It’s vital to select a data model that truly supports the way your association works.
Salesforce created Person Accounts to support both B2B and B2C data models, exactly the way associations with organization and/or individual members work. Person Accounts are essentially an account and a contact record combined. “The account record has a ton of power in the Salesforce platform, as it drives a lot of your processes and relationships. The contact record captures critically important details about your constituents. When you combine these two, you get this magical record that has the power of an account but has all the details of a contact, and that is our Person Accounts,” said Nicole Adair, Salesforce Principal Solution Engineer.
Person Accounts are a data tool created for how associations work, where members, donors, and constituents may be individuals and/or organizations. This makes the Person Accounts data model the ideal choice for your AMS. However, not all Salesforce-based AMS platforms leverage Person Accounts. Look for an AMS that uses Person Accounts to empower and support your entire organization.
2. Salesforce sandbox
Some Salesforce-based AMS vendors may give you the option of not purchasing a full Salesforce sandbox. This could sound appealing initially, because it might save your organization money. However, having a Salesforce sandbox is a critically important feature to test new operations before making any changes to your existing environment.
A sandbox is a testing environment where you can test code changes separately from your live production environment. A full Salesforce sandbox allows you to copy your entire production organization and its data, including standard and custom object records, documents, and attachments. Sandboxes are completely isolated from your Salesforce production environment, so operations you perform in your sandboxes do not affect your Salesforce production environment and vice versa.
Sandboxes can also be a fantastic educational tool. You can use Salesforce sandboxes to train new hires and help them acclimatize to your platform. To take advantage of this helpful tool, look for a Salesforce-based AMS that includes a sandbox at no additional cost.
3. Code Coverage
To ensure a quality software product, software developers test code as it’s developed to make sure it works properly. “Code coverage” is the percentage of code lines quality-tested in a software product. Simply put, software with higher code coverage has a lower chance of bugs than one with lower code coverage.
One of the reasons Salesforce is a CRM leader is for its high-quality standards. Salesforce requires 75% code coverage for a solution to be listed on the Salesforce AppExchange. Anyone developing a software solution based on the Salesforce platform must test at least 75% of their Apex (Salesforce programming language) code, and those tests must pass.
As you search for a Salesforce-based AMS, you’ll want to ensure that it meets Salesforce’s high-quality standards. Your association deserves an AMS that is routinely evaluated by Salesforce, exceeds quality controls, and follows best practices.
4. Continuous innovation
As you search for your next AMS, you should prioritize technology that simplifies processes and the workload of your staff. Product innovation will move your organization forward.
Look for a Salesforce-based AMS that offers routine and scheduled software upgrades. Consistent updates will save your association money and ensure every user is on the latest software version.
Not all Salesforce-based AMS platforms are created equally
Remember, not all Salesforce-based AMS prioritize features that meet your association-specific needs. Nimble AMS offers continuous software updates, a Salesforce Sandbox, advanced code coverage, the Person Accounts data model, and more features to advance your organization.
From associations to nonprofits, the world’s most innovative organizations trust Nimble AMS to power their mission. Stay ahead of industry competition, exceed your goals, and enhance the member experience with Nimble AMS, powered by Salesforce.
