Did you know that 47% of association professionals see executive leadership commitment and buy-in as vital to purchasing new technology? The latest Community Brands Association Trends Research also found that of the surveyed association professionals, 49% say their IT budget will increase, indicating that organizations understand the value and imperative of adopting new technology to survive in the future.
If your organization is beginning to research new association management software (AMS), you’ll need to showcase the value of modern technology to your board. Read our blog for helpful strategies to get your board on board to adopt new AMS and advance your association into the future.
How to highlight the value of your new association management software (AMS) to your board
As you research the best AMS for your association, you’ll want to communicate with your board about how the new technology will bring value to your organization. Consider highlighting the following features and how they can benefit your organization:
- Lower total cost of ownership. Your board might be concerned about the initial cost of a new AMS. However, if you choose modern technology with continuous upgrades, you’ll have a lower cost of ownership. Look for a modern AMS that offers seamless upgrades with no fees and continuous innovation providing the latest technology for your staff and members. If your organization adopts an AMS without continuous upgrades, your technological infrastructure runs the risk of failing. You don’t want to risk your member data leaking or your software system imploding.
- Ease of staff adoption. When talking with your board about a new AMS, highlight the new technology’s ease of use. Search for AMS that offers an excellent user experience and technology training for easy staff adoption.
According to Forrester, 80% of employees surveyed said they would remain in their current roles if they received technology training. However, only 47% of employees received such training opportunities. Adopting an AMS with a built-in training platform can increase staff adoption and increase employee retention.
- Automation. As you research a new AMS and share your findings with your board, you’ll want to emphasize how the software can automate key organizational processes to streamline staff workflow. Look for a modern solution that leverages point-and-click technology and doesn’t require code to create automation.
When you select a user-friendly AMS to build automation, you can easily decrease your manual staff workload, ensuring your employees can spend time on value-added tasks. Saving your staff time increases productivity and ensures a return on your technology investment.
- User-friendly data. When researching new software, be sure to look for an AMS that empowers your organization to be data–driven, making it easy for you to access your information, create queries, pull reports, and build dashboards. Share with your board what’s sure to be one of your AMS’ most valuable features—its user-friendly reports and dashboards.
Ensure the AMS has hundreds of pre-built reports made just for associations and look for modern software that offers routine dashboard updates so your key stakeholders can stay up to date with the latest reports.
5 tips to effectively communicate with your board about purchasing new association management software (AMS)
Now that you know which AMS features you should highlight, here are five strategies to effectively get your board on board with the new technology:
1. Create a mission statement. In your mission statement, share why your organization would like to purchase new technology. Include current pain points for both your staff and members so your board has a clear understanding of the shortcomings of your current technology.
2. Share the value of the new technology. Highlight any new software functionality or features that your staff or key stakeholders will be able to leverage. Showcasing this value will ensure your board knows your future technology ROI.
3. Create a team dynamic. Ask how your board would like to be involved in the research and buying process. Then get your board members plugged into their new roles.
4. Find a cheerleader. Are there any board members passionate about updating your association’s current technology? If so, tap them to move your software initiative forward and get more board members invested.
5. Leave time for feedback. Ensure there is plenty of time for your board to offer feedback and ask questions about the AMS you’re researching.
