Customer Spotlight: Rotary International and NetForum Enterprise

When you consider moving to new association management software (AMS), you might focus on the types of product functionality and best practices that are built into the system. You might even think about the implementation process. Those are all important.

But, do you think beyond that – to the full lifecycle of your AMS?

There are several key things you can do over the lifecycle of your AMS to make sure it’s working optimally for your association. For example:

  • Take note of key metrics (such as database size and time it takes to complete mission-critical tasks) to use as a benchmark along the way to determine if anything is slowing down and needs to be optimized.
  • Document your operating procedures in the product.
  • Assess how well your organization is adopting the new system and poll your staff regularly to uncover any areas that could be improved.

That last point is particularly important, as any issues users might be having could tie directly to a lower adoption rate of your system. Here’s a real-world example of how one organization tackled this approach to optimizing their AMS:

Rotary International
Rotary International is a global network of 1.2 million neighbors, friends, leaders, and problem-solvers who see a world in which people unite and take action to create lasting change. Since 2009 the organization has been using NetForum Enterprise as their AMS.

In 2018, and again in 2020, the organization sent a survey to employees to better understand user satisfaction as well as find and prioritize ways to improve user satisfaction over time. The surveys collected feedback about multiple aspects of NetForum Enterprise, including:

  • Product usage – The surveys tracked how often users use the product. For example, in the 2020 survey, 70 percent of respondents said they use NetForum Enterprise daily (versus just over 57 percent in 2018). Both surveys showed that 15 percent of respondents use it weekly. These findings show that a greater number of employees are using NetForum Enterprise on a daily basis, while usage by less frequent users remains the same.
  • Module usage – The surveys looked at usage of modules in NetForum Enterprise. Findings show that the top modules used by respondents were CRM, Membership, Reports, Tracked Gifts, and Committees, and that an increasing percentage of individuals are using each module.
  • User satisfaction – Rotary International looked at overall user satisfaction, as well as satisfaction by groups within the organization. The surveys show that user satisfaction with the AMS increased from 2018 to 2020.
  • Needs met – The organization looked at how well NetForum Enterprise meets respondents’ needs for each function they use in the AMS. For every function included in the 2020 survey, the percentage of respondents who noted they can complete the function extremely well, or very well, increased over the 2018 survey. The percentage of respondents who selected “not well at all” or “slightly” decreased over the past two years for all functions.
  • Learning opportunities – Respondents were asked about which trainings they have participated in as well as their interest in future trainings. In the 2020 survey, Rotary International discovered a significant interest in basic query training, advanced query training, and custom training for one’s team.
  • Potential new features – The surveys asked about staff interests in potential new functionality in NetForum Enterprise, identifying new features staff would like to see in the future.

The survey responses have helped Rotary International uncover training needs and ways to modify the platform to better meet the organization’s requirements. This helps Rotary International to optimize use of NetForum Enterprise across the organization.

Surveying your staff is just one great way to gather information to help you optimize the life of your AMS. There are many other steps you can take throughout the AMS lifecycle to make sure you’re getting the most out of your system.

Learn more
The NetForum Enterprise team offers services to help you optimize your NetForum Enterprise AMS system through each phase of the AMS lifecycle. Learn more: Contact the NetForum Enterprise team<

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