Technology is the core of your organization. To guarantee your association thrives, you need to invest in the right technology for your staff and members.
But how can you ensure your organization chooses the right association management software (AMS) to enhance your staff and member experience? Consult your IT leaders to begin the conversation and lead your association’s digital transformation.
What technology benefits are important to association IT leaders?
In the latest Community Brands Association Trends Research Study, a group of association IT leaders were surveyed to determine technology’s role in delivering a superior staff and member experience. Here’s what the study found:
- The top five reasons IT leaders invest in technology are: to enhance the member experience, improve the efficiency of business processes, attract new members, improve efficiencies through automation, and ensure data privacy and information security.
- About 50% of associations surveyed say their IT budget will increase over the next year.
- The top three IT purchasing priorities are: the ability to impact the member experience, members being able to use new technology, and staff being able to use new technology.
4 ways association IT leaders can drive organizational success
Consult your IT leaders to get their unique perspectives on how new technology can drive success at your association. Here are four ways to foster effective communication with your IT leaders:
1. Offer a seat on your team. To ensure you are aligned with your IT leaders on strategy for purchasing new technology, it’s vital to work directly with your IT leaders. Do so by ensuring your IT leaders are present at the strategy table.
Your IT leaders know the current technological needs of your association, so it’s crucial to involve them early on in any conversation about adopting a new AMS. With your IT leaders’ insights, you’ll be able to anticipate challenges, determine the best AMS, and successfully prepare for your association’s digital transformation.
2. Formulate IT goals. Your association’s goals and overall mission will drive your IT investments and digital transformation. Ensure your IT leaders are part of your goal-setting process as they can offer valuable insights to the conversation.
As you set technological goals, consider asking your IT leaders for guidance on the following:
- How technology can enhance the member experience
- How technology can help you measure your KPIs
- How technology can help you improve the staff experience
3. Partner with your vendor. When you partner with your AMS vendor, your relationship can become more than just a contract. It can drive innovation and help you reach your strategic goals.
Involve your IT leaders in your AMS partnership to open the lines of communication between your organization and your vendor. When you have increased communication with your AMS vendor, they’ll have a better understanding of your association’s needs. Likewise, your staff will have improved knowledge of your AMS, boosting overall confidence in your system.
“Our previous systems required us to pay someone who understood the systems to set up process automations with custom code. With Nimble AMS, built on the Salesforce platform, we now have constant innovation with each seasonal release. This means we get to leverage things like automation, AI, and chatbots…Because [Nimble AMS] is intuitive, the ASSH staff is excited and empowered to find new ways to leverage the technology,” said Jake Adler, Chief Technology Officer of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH).
4. Promote training opportunities. To ensure a successful digital transformation and AMS adoption at your association, try offering technology training. With more training opportunities, your organization will see an increase in the staff adoption of the new AMS.
Ask your IT leaders to organize training opportunities across teams, offering technology training for new staff and opportunities for current employees to upskill. Consult your IT leaders to see if there’s any way to leverage an online training platform (preferably through your AMS) to streamline training for all your employees.
