Four ways AMS systems can grow your organisation and retain members

Definition: An Association Management System (AMS), is software designed specifically for associations, bringing together the functions of membership management, a database, eCommerce, finance, events, communications, website and reporting into one platform.

So how can and should an Association Management System help you grow your organisation and retain membership?

1.    Provides a wholistic picture of your organisation

As a leader in an Association, having a detailed view of each pillar of your organisation is invaluable. Being able to see your membership data all in one place, in real-time and with detailed tracking you are able to better understand member behaviour - for an organisation, individual or at a segment level. It also allows your staff the ability to respond quicker to real-life daily member challenges.

With an AMS you can view a member’s status, the events they are attending, the CPD points they have collected, the communications they have received and their financial status. This insight provides you with a real understanding of your customer to drive decision- making, reduce unwanted and costly tasks, and help you attract, retain and engage.

2.    Engaged members equals high retention

An AMS provides you with the ability to really connect with members by understanding exactly what they need from you. It also enables you to predict what they may need in the future based on their current interactions. This level of personalisation is now an expectation of associations and is a key value marker for members. 

Investing in a quality AMS will provide staff the opportunity to engage more meaningfully with members to enhance retention rates and their overall level of activity with the association. Your members are your biggest selling tool (for word-of-mouth referrals) so providing them with a positive experience will attract more people to join your association.

3.    Simplification of processes

How much of your member journey can be completed without staff intervention?
With this modern technology, members should be able to take control and action tasks such as joining, renewing, updating personal details etc. on their own. This makes it easier for them as they don’t need to wait on a response to their email or wait on hold – they can immediately do what it is they want to do.

AMS provides a single platform for multiple tasks, streamlining the process as only one system needs to be learnt by staff.

Implementing more automated technology allows your staff to work smarter as they have more capacity to engage with members and solve complex issues.

4.    Adaptable to your needs

These systems have a range of features that could be useful to your organisation and implemented in different stages as you need them – growing with you. You may choose to start small and utilise the membership management website features, and once you have
mastered this you can start using other features as you need without the need for an upgrade or costly developments. An AMS should help you provide a better user experience and offer new features based on advanced technologies and industry needs.

Another way an AMS can keep up with you is through the use of an of application programming interface (API) which means the software is able to connect with other software you use.

For instance, a quality AMS will provide plug and play integrations with other leading software commonly used by associations such as Xero, Zoom, webcastloud, LMSs to name just a few, as well as providing ability for custom extensions and integrations ensuring the ability to evolve and expand our operational technology

Why choose Membes AMS?

With the Membes AMS, you have a ready-made system specifically designed for Associations. All your information connects, allowing for real-time insights, agile responses, and a more strategic and dynamic approach for your organisation.

The combination of features including Membership Management, Event Management, Marketing & Communications, Website (CMS), eCommerce & Finance, Education, CPD & Auditing, Reporting & Insights truly gives you a tool for your Association to grow and retain members.