Getting the Best From Your AMS While Avoiding the Rough Edges
In my work helping associations get the most out of their data, all roads tend to lead back to the association management system, or AMS. These workhorse systems serve as the central database of member records and activities for most of the groups I work with.
Depending on the platform and the functional roles it has been assigned, it might also serve as the association's public facing website, an events calendar, a registration system, an e-commerce store, and more. Whatever an association wants to do, odds are an AMS is out there that will happily raise its hand and volunteer to do it, just like this nifty pocket knife.
Running an association of any significant size would be a massive challenge without a functional AMS. By and large, the vendors that supply them are working hard to cover a lot of technical needs for their customers, and are pretty successful at it. That said, these tools require careful planning, work, and thought to make them function the way your association actually needs them to.
The House vs. The Housekeeping
If I had only one piece of advice to offer about these systems, it would be this: The quality of your experience with an AMS is less about the platform and more about the records it contains.
You can shop carefully and purchase the most advanced, accessible, user-friendly system for your team. But if the data is incomplete, poorly organized, or outdated, the value of the system is compromised. The software can help encourage good record keeping, but it really comes down to the people entering the data.
Think of the AMS as a digital home for your association. You can buy a fancy house with all the modern amenities and closet space imaginable. The architecture might win awards. But if you move into this palace, drop your boxes in the middle of the floor, and never unpack or organize, you're just living in an expensive mess.
Good luck finding anything.
The feature list is big. Not all of it is best.
Because these systems try to offer a solution for everything an association might need, the feature offerings from a single AMS vendor can feel a lot like an all-in-one pocket knife. Some of the features work great for the job at hand. Others work like the mini-saw when you're trying to cut down an oak tree.
For an association, it comes down to a judgment call: Can we live with less optimal versions of tools we don't use as often in exchange for one less bill and one less system to learn? Or is this assortment of so-so features holding back our staff and reminding us how ill equipped we are?
Flexibility - at a Cost
AMS systems are renowned for flexibility. Need to track something that didn't come with the standard "member" record? You can add custom fields for this, that, and the other thing. Go crazy! It's your database!
But how much customization do you actually need? That largely depends what came in the box. It also depends how much you want to take responsibility for.
Think of the custom fields as guests to your AMS home, not residents. The system will treat them politely, but it will never accommodate them and their needs quite like it does the fields that came with the software. Under the hood, the system's internal database, user interfaces, and APIs are optimized for native fields first and foremost.
What's more, every time an upgrade or new version of the AMS is released, the vendor will not be testing their software for any potential side effects to your specific custom fields. The cost of fully maintaining these "guests" is billed to you and your team for as long as you use this platform.
This shouldn't stop you from using the system's extensibility; after all, that's why the feature is there. Just remember that a little goes a long way.
Structural Data Limitations
For as flexible and useful as AMS data is, the general purpose nature of the data model isn't perfect for everything.
For example, the base design of the records within most AMS systems by default tends to align towards individuals, not organizations. Need to know who works for a member company? If your association is geared towards company memberships rather than individuals (like a trade association), you might find some systems require a bit more effort to track and map these relationships.
Another thing to keep in mind: Change tracking and history recall is not a first-class concept for many AMS platforms. As operations-focused systems, they tend to be more about getting today's work done first. If your team is looking to get a nuanced, accurate look at membership as of a point in history, you can expect your options to be more limited. To really slice and dice historical data, you're probably going to need to do some data work outside of the platform.
There's a great big world of useful information beyond the walls of your AMS. While your system might be capable of holding extra data, it is rarely the best tool for calculating and presenting advanced metrics, such as KPIs that draw facts from multiple source systems. This is where a dedicated reporting environment gives you the kind of headroom you need without over-complicating the role of your AMS.
Need a hand making AMS time travel and advanced metrics work for you?
It's a Living Thing
While people tend to think of an AMS from a specific vendor as a uniform and standard thing for everyone, the combination of all these factors results in a something quite unique and distinct.
In a way, these systems are a lot like people. Genetically, we're nearly identical. When we add our experiences, circumstances, and preferences to the mix, however, the result is a diversity that never fails to surprise.
The AMS you adopted is no different. As you grow into it, it takes on the traits of your organizational family. It speaks with your accent, learns to recite your institutional legends, and sometimes becomes as puzzling as your actual relatives. It's the living reflection of your organization and all of its structure, quirks, and record keeping habits.
Will switching your AMS change things for your organization? Possibly. But maybe not as much you'd think. After all, wherever you go, there you are.
