Total Excellence Association Management – MC Trade AMS
How an AMC Streamlined its Operations by Adopting One Member Management Software: MemberClicks MC Trade
TEAM had 30 clients, many using different database solutions. They sought a way to make things easier for staff and more beneficial to clients. Through making MC Trade its required database for any client, TEAM streamlined tasks, increased staff efficiency, and lowered overall management costs for TEAM clients.
For an association management company (AMC), staff efficiency is something that certainly has theoretical value. In reality, however, the stakes are raised as efficiency and alignment can make or break an AMC’s ability to attract new clients.
No one understands this more than Lauren Martini, operations manager for Total Excellence of Association Management (TEAM) in Harrisburg, Pa. Today, TEAM’s 30 staff members manage 26 clients, including two large speciality societies and a handful of small county societies, mostly in the health and medical fields.
“We needed to consolidate all clients with one database versus each client using different databases,” said Martini. “This was incredibly important to TEAM not only for efficiency, but for security purposes as well. For instance, if the database was charging per user and the client only allowed for one or two users it would force us to share login information among staff. This doesn’t follow our best practices for IT security.”
Unique Situations Require Unique Solutions
TEAM is a unique AMC. It was actually founded by Pennsylvania Medical Society (PAMED), which aimed to foster the advancement of medical knowledge, relieve suffering, and promote the health of the community. Eventually, the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Society came to PAMED asking them to take over management of its day-to-day. This model grew year after year until 10 years ago, when PAMED created TEAM to be the official AMC to manage this growing segment of business.
“Each TEAM client benefits from the expertise of a dedicated staff team comprised of an executive director, meeting manager, deputy executive and member service specialist, and an in-house marketing and communications team, “Martini said. “They have coverage on all levels and have cross-coverage on all the teams in case of extended absence.”
We had been getting comments that AMCs nickel and dime them with the management fee and all the technology pass-throughs in their expenses.
The above is what makes contracting with an AMC attractive, especially when in-house association management structures aren’t sustainable. However, Martini said one drawback of many AMCs is confusing cost structures, which can cause frustration and mistrust for associations with tight budgets.
“We had been getting comments that AMCs nickel and dime them with the management fee and all the technology pass-throughs in their expenses,” she said, explaining that TEAM aimed to change that impression.
By offering an all-inclusive, flat-fee pricing structure, TEAM was able to create a strong value proposition that differentiated them from the market. When TEAM came to MemberClicks in 2015, they were excited that the MC Trade product could consolidate their clients into one software solution. Now, using MC Trade AMS is a requirement for any new client.
“We do have experience with the Oasis AMS and would be willing to take on a client already using Oasis and continue managing them through it,” Martini said. “But we do limit the AMS platforms we’re willing to use to MC Trade and MC Professional.”
The Benefit(s) of Managing Multiple Clients on One Software System
Martini said when a client signs on with TEAM, they agree to use all of TEAM’s technology. And there’s good reason for this.
“It’s more scalable for our staff, as they don’t have to learn multiple platforms, and the more clients TEAM has using a service, the deeper the discount we’re able to give on that service,” Martini said.
The MC Trade database functionality alone has been beneficial to TEAM’s staff, but by expanding services to include full website management through MemberClicks, they are able to market each client appropriately and provide a smooth, intuitive member experience for those trying to do business with their association online.
It’s more scalable for our staff, as they don’t have to learn multiple platforms, and the more clients TEAM has using a service, the deeper the discount we’re able to give on that service.
