Confessions of an AMS Selection Expert

By Laura Armstrong

A few months ago, I was asked by Jay Daughtry at Fonteva to give some advice.  The angle of the e-book he was putting together was something a little different: alerting associations to what can go wrong in selecting a new Association Management System.  The title of the e-book is “Beyond the Demo: What No One Tells You About AMS Selections.” 

Yowza! That’s a topic.  I was intrigued.

I’ve been helping organizations select AMS and other technology solutions for the past (can it be?) 15 years. There’s no one perfect solution, though the vendors do try really hard.  You select the one that most closely fits your needs.  It’s like selecting a doctor. Where does it hurt?  What are your symptoms? Do you need a family practitioner or an orthopedic surgeon? Or just test results that are easier to understand? (And does your health insurance cover the costs?)

The topic got me thinking of feedback I’ve gotten over the years from clients I’ve helped select solutions.  In general, it’s been positive, but occasionally I’ll get a comment that made me say, “Hmmm, I know we talked about that.”

Being asked to write for the e-book made me consider what advice I really wanted organizations making the selection decision to understand--- things I’ve said during a selection that may not have fully registered with the client. As you read the e-book, you’ll hear words of wisdom from other selection veterans. 

There’s one other piece of advice I’d like to make sure you hear:  this isn’t easy, there will be bumps in the road, there are unexpected issues and costs--- but it’s worth it. 

Technology is going to change. We’re seeing it happen at whiplash speed right now, and it’s hard to keep up.  But the organization that doesn’t improve its technology regularly will encounter much greater problems as the technology evolves out of its reach, to the point of the possible extinction of the organization.  Yeah, that.  If you are no longer able to manage processes in a way that members expect, or your technology is so old there is no reliable support available--- can you do the job of the association entirely in spreadsheets?  We’d like to think so, but, no.

Expect technology change. Plan for it.

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