Beacon Blog
VIDEO OVERVIEW: How to Pick the Right AMS: 5 Secrets to Make Your Search Easy, Fast, and Stress-Free
We thought we would do a TL;DR – or better yet – TL;DV (Too Long; Didn’t View) recap of our recent webinar for UST Education. It’s a do this/not that type of presentation that covers 5 secrets to making sure your AMS search is easy, fast and stress-free.
Our very own co-founders: David Schulman and Vanessa Dennison gave the presentation and attendees walked away with five razor‑sharp strategies to regain control, set clear priorities, and move confidently through AMS selection.
Secret 1: Prioritize Essentials vs. “Nice‑to‑Haves”
David: Not all features are created equal. You need to separate operational mission-critical features from the bells and whistles. Make that distinction early – and stick to it – for a selection that’s both efficient and high-impact. The result? Less time wasted evaluating stuff that feels fancy but delivers zero member value.
Vanessa: This isn’t just a procurement best practice. It’s about organizing your priorities around actual association impact. When you filter through the hype to focus on what drives membership, engagement, and productivity, you don’t just pick a system, you pick a tool that powers your strategy.
Secret 2: Spot Demo Hype, Ask Better Questions
David: Demos are slick. Vendors know how to showcase glitz. Your job? Turn the demo into a vetting tool: call out vague promises, ask for specifics on your trickiest workflows, and insist on proof that key scenarios are supported, not just sold.
Vanessa: Vendors often talk to you; your job is to talk back. Stop nodding and start probing. Real selection starts when you shift the conversation from features to use cases and ask, “Show me how it handles X with real data and real users.”
Secret 3: From Everyone’s Opinion to Real Consensus
Vanessa: You’ll hear a lot of voices from executive, power users, and light users. That’s great. But if you let meeting hours balloon and feedback remain emotional, you’ll get stuck. Frameworks that group, rate, and mass‑vote requirements convert noise into decisions.
David: This is where mediocre comms kill solid processes. Build simple, objective frameworks. Think rating scales, use‑case voting systems. Then you turn input into clarity without calling 47 more status meetings.
Secret 4: Involve Stakeholders at the Right Time
David: Fighting last-minute sabotage from stakeholders is no fun. Know when to bring in executives (to approve vision), power users (to weigh in on workflows), and light users (to sign off on ease-of-use). The right timing keeps the process smooth.
Vanesas: Too early? You overload people. Too late? You invite vetoes. Stakeholder involvement isn’t ticking a box, it’s mapping who needs to speak, when, and to what degree. And yes, leave space for push-back. It’s part of the process, not sabotage.
Secret 5: Your Easy Checklist
Vanessa: The session closes with a practical, accessible checklist that’srooted in real priorities, focused on what matters, and understandable from staff to board. It’s designed for clarity and built to keep you in control.
David: Forget dense RFP templates or ivory-tower scoring models. This is about an actionable, shared reference point that teams use to stay aligned and keep due diligence human and streamlined.
Final Thought
Selecting an AMS isn’t just about software. It’s a moment to elevate your association’s impact. When you approach it with strategic clarity, tough vetting, and aligned involvement, you don’t just buy a system, you reshape how your organization serves its members.
And frankly, it’s the kind of thinking that Beacon Tech Research is all about: smart, human‑centered, and relentlessly focused on impact.
Watch the video here:
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