Can Membership Management Systems Manage Events and Certifications?
Unified AMS: Managing Members, Events & Certifications Together
Your mission is very simple: serve your members, build your community, and ensure your organization remains healthy over the long term. Your tools are supposed to assist you in doing so and not pull you back. When you are on a simple database or a collection of independent applications, then you may ask yourself whether your central system can perform better.
A common question we hear is: “Can a membership management system also manage our events and professional certifications?”
The direct answer is yes. A modern association management software (AMS) is designed to handle these critical functions in one place. It links members, events, and learning, saving you time and developing a more engaging member experience.
This article will show you how a unified membership management system works for events and certifications. You will gain real-world advantages and learn how it transforms data into actionable outcomes.
The Short Answer: More Than Just a Database
Consider your membership platform not just as a list of names, but as the most important center of all interactions between members. Events and certifications are not independent assignments. They are fundamental elements of the member journey.
A robust association management software brings these functions together. It eliminates paperwork, reduces mistakes, and provides you with a complete view of the activity of every member. This assists in improving member retention and efficiency in the operation.
Lesson learned: The appropriate system does not merely archive data on the members. It is a proactive way of assisting you in working with members by organizing events and monitoring their professional development through certifications.
Do you have complex requirements?
Take a closer look at the process of configuring company rosters, event modules, and certification tracks.
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How a Membership Management System Streamlines Events
Organizing an event, be it a webinar or a huge annual conference has numerous moving components. A capable membership management system handles the entire lifecycle.
1. Easy Event Creation and Registration.
You can create a new event within minutes rather than hours.
- Use available information: The system is filled with details pre-filled with existing data from your member database. The members get logged in, and their details are therein. They do not have to retype it.
- Flexible ticketing: Develop various types of tickets. Provide member discounts, non-member discounts, early-bird discounts, and group rates.
- Integrated payments: Accept payments safely and securely via interconnected payment gateways. Everything will be automatically posted to the member’s record and your financial reports.
Example: You have your annual conference. You make the event page in your AMS. You established a member ticket of $495 dollars and a non-member ticket of $695 dollars. With one three-click registration, your members can log in, get their discounted rate, and register. The system receives the payment, sends out a confirmation, and adds the registrant to your list.
2. Automated Notifications and Reminders
No manual effort is required to keep attendees updated.
- Confirmations: Instant event-branded confirmation e-mails with receipts.
- Reminders: Schedule reminder emails one week, one day, and one hour before the event. This reduces no-shows.
- Updates: Timely update all regulators with changes in the schedule or with links.
Advantage: This automation will save your employees hours of emailing. It is also professional and reliable to your members.
3. On-Site Check-In and Check-Out
Get out of paper lists and long lines.
- Mobile check-in: Check in using a tablet or phone by scanning QR codes in registration emails. Check people in instantly.
- Live lists: Find out who arrived and who is missing. Produce proper attendance reports in real time.
- Session tracking: In multi-session events, track the sessions attended by members. This information will assist you in your future planning.
Outcome: Your team handles the event door without any hassle. You capture useful data on the members’ participation without unnecessary effort.
4. Post-Event Reporting and Following-Up
Measuring post-event success and relationships after the event.
- Automated surveys: Dispatch a post-event survey at once to all attendees.
- CEU/CME tracking: If your event provides continuing education credits, the system may automatically add them to member records.
- Impact reporting: Have access to clear reports about registration numbers, revenue, attendance rates, and net promoter score (NPS).
Why it is important: It is a closed-loop process that transforms an event into a source of information. You get to know what members desire, show your value in terms of credits, and be smarter next year.
How a Membership System Manages Professional Certifications
Member benefit Certifications are a significant non-dues source and a primary source of non-dues revenue. It is dangerous and time-consuming to handle them manually using spreadsheets and emails. An integrated membership management system brings order and automation.
Single System Applicant and Candidate Management
Monitor each candidate, starting with interest, to a certified professional.
- Online portals: Prospects can find information and apply online through a special portal.
- Status reports: At a glance, the status of each candidate: application received, under review, approved, exam scheduled, certified.
- Document storage: Store all application materials, reference letters, and work samples in the candidate’s digital file.
Example: A nurse is seeking your board certification. She applies and posts her transcripts using your member portals. The certification manager in the AMS reads the file, changes the status to Approved, and the system automatically sends an email to the nurse with the exam scheduling instructions.
Automated Continuing Education (CE) Compliance and Renewal
Here it is, the system that saves the most time and avoids mistakes.
- Renewal cycles: The system keeps track of the expiration date of the certification of every member. It reminds me of renewals that are automatically sent several months in advance.
- Validation relating to CEs: The members are able to post their completed CE hours via their portal. You can specify regulations that require credits from pre-approved providers to be automatically approved.
- Compliance dashboards: See at a glance the members who are in good standing, those who are expiring, and those who are non-compliant.
Advantage: You will no longer pursue renewals manually. Members like the proactive reminders. You uphold the honesty of your certification program through the steady imposition of regulations.
Integrated Learning and Exam Tools
Relate the stages of the certification process.
- Learning management system (LMS) links: Many association management software platforms integrate with or include a simple LMS. It is possible to sell exam preparation courses to applicants.
- Exam results: Once a candidate is successful on an exam, the result can be directly fed into your AMS. The system automatically allows them to be certified and be given member benefits.
- Digital badges: When certified, the system will be able to award a verifiable digital badge that members can post on LinkedIn and their resumes.
Outcome: You develop a smooth transition between learning and certification. This enhances the experience of the candidate and reinforces the value of your credential.
Effective Certification Impact Reporting
Show the worth of your programs to your stakeholders and board.
- Growth reports: Monitor the growth in new certificants.
- Revenue reports: Non-dues revenue should be assigned to certification fees, renewals, and prep courses.
- Demographic analysis: Learn to know who is becoming certified. Target your marketing and recruitment using this information.
Why it is important: Good reporting is a sign of certification program success. It helps you acquire resources to grow and shows members that their money is well spent.
The Force of Integration: Finding the Right System
You may have event software, certification software, and membership software. This brings about big problems, however.
- Data Silos: Member data gets stagnant in various systems. There is never one true view of a member.
- Manual Work: You spend time exporting lists from one system and importing them into another. This causes mistakes and redundancies.
- Unsatisfactory Member Experience: Members are required to go through various logins and update their profiles at multiple locations. They get frustrated.
A unified association management software solves this. When one of the members enrolls in a certification prep course, the course recognizes the member’s status and charges the right price. The CE credit is automatically incorporated into their certification record when they complete a webinar. Everything is connected.
Is Your Current System Holding You Back? Key Questions to Ask
Is there a way of knowing whether you require a more robust system? You should ask yourself these questions:
- Do you manually input the same information into more than one spreadsheet or software?
- Is it difficult to document a member’s entire activity, including event attendance and certification status?
- Do you spend excessive time on manual activities such as dispatching renewal reminders or payment of event fees?
- Are there any complaints from members about the complexity of registering for events or keeping up with certifications?
These were some of the tools that wouldn’t serve you if you said yes to any of them. It is time to explore a modern membership management system.
Next Steps: How a Unified System Works
You have a demanding role. You require solutions that provide obvious results: increased retention, reduced busywork, and reliable information.
Element AMS is designed with associations such as yours in mind. It unites certifications, membership, and events in a single trusted site.
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