Gathering the Essentials: How to Prepare for a New AMS

Identifying and Improving Existing Forms

Your association relies on forms for everything from member sign-ups to event registrations, but outdated or inefficient forms can create bottlenecks and frustrate users. Before transitioning to a new AMS, review your existing forms to eliminate redundancies, improve user experience and ensure they align with your new system’s capabilities. Streamlining forms now will help prevent data entry errors, enhance engagement and make workflows more efficient.

Focus on:


• Membership applications and renewal forms.

• Event registration and feedback forms.

• Surveys and donation forms.

• Sponsorship and exhibitor applications for events.

• Volunteer interest and participation forms.

• Committee and leadership nomination forms.

• Custom member profile update forms to keep records current.

• Request forms for certifications, credentials or continuing education.

• Data collection forms for member preferences and engagement tracking.

Streamlining Workflows to Enhance Efficiency and Automation

Workflows determine how efficiently tasks are completed within your association. If they’re slow, manual or inconsistent, they can lead to delays, errors and frustration. By mapping out key workflows before AMS implementation, you can identify inefficiencies, remove unnecessary steps and integrate automation where possible. A well-structured workflow ensures smoother operations, better member engagement and reduced administrative burden.

Examples include:


• Member onboarding processes.

• Event planning workflows.

• Communication cycles for newsletters and updates.

• Member renewal and retention outreach campaigns.

• Volunteer and committee management workflows.

• Dues and billing cycle processes for financial consistency.

• Application review and approval workflows for grants or scholarships.

• Member feedback collection and response processes.

• Content creation and approval workflows for website and email updates.

Leveraging Automation to Digitize and Streamline Processes

Manual processes slow down productivity and leave room for errors, but a modern AMS can help digitize and automate routine tasks. By identifying areas where automation can reduce workload, you can free up staff time for more strategic initiatives. From automatic member renewals to real-time reporting, digitizing processes ensures a more seamless experience for both staff and members.

Automate tasks like:


• Membership renewals and payment reminders.

• Event registrations and attendee tracking.

• Reporting and analytics generation.

• Automated email responses for inquiries and support tickets.

• Self-service member portal updates and profile management.

• Integration with accounting software for real-time financial tracking.

• Automated survey distribution and feedback collection.

• Scheduled social media posts and content distribution.

• System-generated alerts for expiring certifications or compliance requirements.

Creating Consistency: Standardizing Processes Across Departments

An AMS works best when every department follows standardized processes. Without consistency, data discrepancies, communication gaps and reporting errors can slow down efficiency and lead to frustration. Establishing uniform procedures ensures smooth collaboration, reduces errors and helps staff get the most out of the AMS. By aligning processes across teams, your association can improve operational efficiency and provide a seamless member experience.

Standardize practices like:


• Data entry protocols to minimize errors.

• Communication workflows for uniform messaging.

• Financial reporting practices for transparency.

• Standardized approval processes for memberships, events and finances.

• Consistent tagging and categorization of member records for easy segmentation.

• Uniform scheduling and follow-up procedures for renewals and payments.

• Cross-departmental collaboration guidelines for handling member inquiries.

• Centralized documentation for process guidelines and best practices.

• Defined escalation procedures for troubleshooting AMS-related issues.

Establishing Clear Guidelines for AMS Usage

A new AMS is only as effective as the people using it. Without clear guidelines, staff may enter data inconsistently, struggle to generate reports or underutilize key features. Defining standardized procedures ensures accurate data, effective reporting and smooth day-to-day operations. Establishing these best practices from the start will help your team maximize the AMS’s potential and avoid inefficiencies.

Create guidelines and best practices for AMS use, including:


• Data input standards for consistency.

• Reporting protocols for accurate analytics.

• Training schedules for onboarding new staff.

• Guidelines for managing user permissions and access levels.

• Procedures for merging or updating duplicate member records.

• Best practices for scheduling automated tasks and workflows.

• Policies for exporting, sharing and storing AMS-generated data.

• Regular review cycles to update and refine AMS procedures as needed.

• Troubleshooting guides for common system errors or user issues.

Final Data Review: Ensuring Accuracy Before Migration

Conduct a thorough review of all data to ensure accuracy and readiness for migration. Missing, outdated or inconsistent data can cause errors, create confusion and disrupt workflows in the new system. Taking the time to validate and clean up data now will help ensure a seamless transition and prevent complications down the line.

• Verify that all member records are accurate and up to date.
• Ensure financial data, including dues and payment records, is complete.
• Confirm all event history and attendance records are correctly categorized.
• Check communication logs, including email and survey data, for completeness.
• Identify and resolve duplicate, obsolete or inconsistent records.
• Ensure all required fields are properly mapped for migration.
• Run a final test import to catch potential formatting errors.
• Verify compliance with data privacy regulations before migration.
• Create a backup of all legacy data for reference and security.

System Testing: Ensuring a Flawless AMS Launch

Before going live, your AMS must be rigorously tested to ensure everything functions as expected. System testing helps uncover potential issues, from integration failures to user experience problems. Engaging key staff in testing allows you to resolve any issues before launch, ensuring a smoother transition and a better experience for both staff and members.

Engage key staff in testing to identify and resolve issues:

• User acceptance testing (UAT) to validate functionality.
• Testing integrations with existing systems, such as websites or accounting software.
• Verifying that all automated workflows function as intended.
• Checking that member logins and self-service portals work correctly.
• Running test transactions for payments, renewals and event registrations.
• Ensuring reports and analytics generate accurate data.
• Simulating different user roles to test permissions and access levels.
• Assessing mobile responsiveness and usability across devices.
• Reviewing error logs and system alerts for any unresolved issues.

Communicating the Go-Live Plan: Keeping Stakeholders Informed

A successful AMS launch depends on clear, proactive communication with stakeholders. Staff, members and leadership should all know what to expect, how to access support and where to find resources. By outlining a clear go-live plan, your association can reduce confusion, build confidence in the transition and ensure a smoother adoption process.

Inform stakeholders about the go-live plan with clear communication:

• Announce timelines and expectations through newsletters or meetings.
• Provide support resources, such as a dedicated help desk or FAQ page.
• Send targeted emails to different user groups with relevant instructions.
• Host a pre-launch webinar or training session to walk users through key features.
• Create quick-start guides or tutorial videos for staff and members.
• Set up an internal communication channel for real-time questions and support.
• Outline contingency plans for handling potential launch-day issues.
• Schedule follow-up check-ins to gather feedback and address concerns.
• Publicly acknowledge and celebrate the go-live milestone.