Membership Database & Membership Database Management

Member Manager is an online software package that includes membership databases that provide organisations with a cost effective and flexible solution for the management of membership data. By providing a central, integrated membership database that is accessible online by members, Member Manager can greatly reduce the data administration issues traditionally experienced by membership groups.

What database and data administration issues do membership organisations traditionally face?

Traditionally, membership organisations have developed various means of recording and managing their membership data. More often than not, this involved the use of offline tools such Excel spreadsheets to capture all of the necessary information regarding members and their membership.

These types of solutions introduce a number of issues for membership organisations:

1. Unstructured data
With no defined structure, it is very easy for inconsistencies to be introduced into the membership data - information can be recorded in different formats, data validation is not imposed, mandatory information is not enforced and multiple copies of the data are made to satisfy different business processes. The more inconsistent the membership data becomes, the harder it is to use the data for the purpose for which it is intended. For example, if no validation is imposed on the entry of email addresses, it is very easy for the email address to be entered incorrectly and therefore be unusable.

2. Disconnected Data
Because the membership data is offline and disconnected from your membership base (i.e. members do not have direct access to their data) the data can quickly become out of date. Keeping this information up to date requires a large amount of effort to request, gather, compare and record updated information from members. Because of the amount of manual effort required, this task is often neglected. The impact, however, of having out of date information can be significant. If members have changed mailing or email addresses, the inability to contact them may result in the loss of their membership.

3. Data Utilisation
Utilising membership data is often an onerous task that involves multiple steps and varying amounts of efforts. For example, data needs to be filtered and formatted in a certain way to be used as an email marketing list, formatted in a different way to be used as an offline mailing list, different spreadsheets have to be created and data duplicated to keep track of event registrations and membership renewals. The more versions of the data that are produced and the more people involved in each of the processes, the more likely it is that data loss and inconsistencies will occur.

The Member Manager Solution

Member Manager is an online software solution that addresses all of these membership data management issues.

Flexible Membership Database
The Member Manager software has as its core a membership database that:
• Allows complete customisation of the data that is recorded in the membership database
• Allows an unlimited number of membership types to be defined including different prices for application and renewal, different membership lengths
• Allows different data to be recorded for different membership types

Intregrated Solution

The Member Manager Membership database is the basis for all other membership management functionality such as Membership Renewal, Event Registration, Member Directory and Members Only content. This integrated solution means that, for any given member, the information stored about them in the membership database (e.g. their membership type, their membership details) will automatically dictate the pricing they receive when registering for an event, whether their details are available in the membership directory, what content they have access to in the Members Only area of the website and when a renewal reminder will be sent out to them.

All of these once onerous administrative tasks are now managed in an integrated, automated and therefore cost effective way.

Online Access
As an online solution, Member Manager:

• Gives members and staff complete visibility of membership data, including membership status and transactions
• Gives members direct access to their personal details so that they can be kept up to date regularly and in real time
• Can be accessed anywhere an internet connection is available

Gaining control with Member Manager

Member Manager’s centralised, integrated and online membership database and data management capabilities give you control over your membership database, ensuring that your membership data is accessible, visible, accurate, secure and readily usable!

If you would like to know more about how Member Manager can help improve the management of your membership data, please complete your details below or contact us directly.