In late October, the Nimble AMS team attended CSAE 2022 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. During our time at the conference, we had the pleasure of celebrating the 60 years the Canadian Society of Association Executives (CSAE) has been a premier organization dedicated to member-based organizations and association professionals. Happy anniversary, CSAE!
The theme of CSAE 2022 was Reunite, and our team had the exciting opportunity to connect with our partners at 108ideaspace. We also had the privilege of meeting so many new individuals in the Canadian association space and the chance to learn more about the industry trends impacting you.
Keep reading to learn more about those industry trends and four key takeaways your association can use today.
Key CSAE takeaways your association needs to know
At CSAE we talked to many association professionals about their custom solutions and the many drawbacks that come from choosing custom over a modern AMS. Here are four of our conversation takeaways we hope will benefit your organization:
1. Custom software is expensive. Many association professionals complain about the expense of customized software. Depending on the age of your software, when it comes time to upgrade, your organization could spend up to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Customizing legacy software to meet your association’s needs will often require hiring an external developer or your software vendor. If you need to modify source code, you also run the risk of breaking your product with a modification during a product upgrade.
To avoid these risks, organizations are willing to pay thousands of dollars to ensure the modified code works. However, the expensive cycle continues, and an association spends more money on outdated software when it could be investing more in additional staff, member engagement resources, or advocacy opportunities.
“As an Executive Director it is huge to not have to spend tens of thousands of dollars on outside consultants just to make sure things don’t break with every upgrade. I can now spend that money on value-added things. It’s liberating. That was impossible in our old system. Things just work now. I realize that shouldn’t be shocking, but it is.” Bruce Moe, Executive Director, MSTA.
2. Custom software creates staff inefficiencies. With outdated software, your staff will have to work twice as hard to accomplish less work. Old software doesn’t provide the capabilities or efficiencies of modern solutions, such as mobile capabilities, process automation, artificial intelligence, or predictive analytics.
Leveraging modern technology also makes it easier to recruit and retain staff at your association. Adopting technology like automation can help to improve the employee work-life balance, improving workplace satisfaction by up to 89%. Outdated software diminishes your association’s competitive edge in the workforce.
3. Custom software inspires a negative member experience. Your members chose your organization for your excellent member benefits. It’s time to start thinking about your software as a vital member benefit. Adopting a modern AMS can help your organization in its member recruitment strategy and boost your retention and engagement efforts.
In our digitally driven world, both non-members and members will evaluate how your association leverages technology to determine whether your organization is worth joining or staying in. Choosing a modern AMS can set your association apart from others in the industry.
4. Invest in a modern AMS. The choice is obvious. Continuing to invest in your custom software wastes money, leads to staff inefficiencies, and creates a negative member experience. Instead, choosing a modern AMS will revolutionize your entire association and put your organization on the path to success.
When adopting an innovative AMS, choose one that offers the following options:
- Configurable reports and dashboards to improve staff efficiency.
- Innovative e-commerce to personalize member shopping.
- Artificial intelligence and predictive analytics to help transform you into a data-driven organization.
- Seamless integration with career center software, event management software, and learning management software (LMS).
