Guest Post By: Rick Rutherford, Writer, Speaker, and Association Technology Evangelist
There is little doubt that association leaders have a lot to consider when it comes to making technology commitments for their organizations. Whether it is the upfront costs today, the unforeseen costs down the road, or the overall impact the technologies implemented will have on the association’s membership and staff, there is a lot to consider and maybe lose a little sleep over.
In the 16 years I have spent in association management software industry, I have found that it is often the pre-selection process where many associations fall short, resulting in selecting a solution that is potentially the wrong fit for the organization’s needs. Avoiding these problems requires digging into the details to identify an organization’s current and future needs, and determining the right match through research, peer discussions, and a thorough analysis of the data collected during the vetting process.
I sat down with Jamie Notter, founding partner of Work XO and the Workplace Genome Platform, to have a discussion about it what it takes and why it’s important for organizations to match technologies to the organization’s culture.
The reality is that an AMS purchase is not a one and done expenditure. If it is a Software as a Service (SaaS) solution, you are dealing with annual subscription fees often tied to contracts that you are potentially bound to for years. While you may be receiving free feature updates through a SaaS, are you considering the soft costs associated with keeping your staff “up-to-date” with the current capabilities of the software. That requires making an investment in your people, which leads to making sure you have the right people to best serve your members.
If you have decided that a custom solution is the proper fit, do you have a handle of the costs of maintaining and updating your technology? This is much more involved process with many moving parts needing to be addressed. The financial implications can be substantial.
Regardless of which direction you choose, are you keeping your eye on the outside forces that are creating constant change and driving the expectations of what your members need from you?
Regardless of which direction you choose, are you keeping your eye on the outside forces that are creating constant change and driving the expectations of what your members expect from you? With all of the competition and technology driven shifts in the for-profit world it often comes down to the end user experience. Those experiences your members have with companies like Amazon, Netflix, and Uber will drive their expectations when they engage with you.
According to Notter the first question this asks is, “what is the digital capacity of your association?” Do you have the culture within your organization that matches up with the technological direction you are wanting to or mandated to pursue? Associations by nature are not nimble and agile. They have cultures in place that traditionally seek stability. That flies in the face of the disruptive environment we work in today.
Notter emphasizes that if you are going to be serious about the technological implications of having a good AMS, you should have the culture behind it to back it up. Specifically, in the Workplace Genome Platform they measure eight culture markers, and digital capacity is spread throughout a number of those, including innovation. There’s also a marker on technologies. While it’s not all about digital technology, there are eight building blocks that WorkXO measures within that marker. And according to Notter, “competitive technology is one of them. Basically it asks the question, is your technology as good or better than your competition or peers? You have to know where you stand on this. In addition, is the technology you are using reliable? Wherever you are on the technology curve, does it work?”
Your customers today are expecting a customized membership experience because they are receiving it everywhere else.
Your customers today are expecting a customized membership experience because they are receiving it everywhere else. Without a doubt it places demands and pressures on any organization, which according to Notter means that associations will need to recalibrate where they spend money, committing more and more resources to technology. And equally important, they will need to have in place a workplace culture that is able to quickly adapt to these constantly changing needs delivering the experience and value members will expect today and into the future.
To learn more about WorkXO’s Workplace Genome Project and what it could mean for your organization, be sure and catch Jamie Notter’s presentation Upgrade Your Workplace: Making Sure Tech and Culture are Aligned, at AMSFest Washington DC, on September 15-16. Learn more or register at www.amsfest.com.
About Jamie Notter: Jamie Notter began his career in the international conflict resolution field, designing and delivering conflict resolution training programs in areas of ethnic conflict in the 1990s. He transitioned into organizational work, initially as a diversity trainer and consultant, and later leading his own management consulting practice where he specialized in helping systems work through the most difficult conversations. In the end, he realized that no matter what kind of work he was doing inside organizations, it all came back to culture, so that is his focus.
About Rick Rutherford: Rick is a writer, speaker and technology evangelist focused on the association industry. He co-founded an AMS company in 2000, and for the past 16 years has collaborated with association leaders and staff helping them to navigate the disruptive changes their organizations face in the technology driven world they compete in today. Contact Rick.