Imagine you’ve been with your AMS provider for quite some time. It’s been reliable over the years, but there are some things that could be better. The day comes and you learn that your vendor plans to make some much-needed improvements to the platform, but there’s a catch. Those updates come with a hefty price tag and it won’t exactly happen overnight.
Your organization doesn’t have the budget to pay for the upgrades, so you elect to stay on the older version of the system. Old reliable. Except she’s not reliable anymore - your vendor has just told you that you have to upgrade or go without support because they’ll no longer be making updates or fixing issues on the old version.
It’s 2023. What just happened?
Updates Used to Be Hard
Technology and innovation go hand-in-hand, but the rate and method of that innovation have drastically changed over the years.
It used to be much harder to update software. Maybe your vendor would take down the system for hours or even days to upgrade the system and you’d log back on with a ton of new features that you had no training on. Or worse, those new updates were riddled with bugs that weren’t caught ahead of time which affects your members and staff.
These types of upgrades come with a cost. They have big price tags and inconvenient downtimes, causing your association and its members to lose valuable time. Then, you’d have to migrate any necessary data or customizations into the new system.
Not to mention, these updates come with a steep learning curve. With these big batch updates, you’re given multiple new features at once – oftentimes without the necessary training.
So what happens if you choose not to upgrade?
You’re left with an old version of the system and at some point, you get lost in the dust. Think about it, as they continue to move to newer versions of the system, there’s a lack of support on the outdated version. Since they came out with an updated version of the system, there are no bug fixes or new features on the outdated version.
This often leaves associations with an impossible choice – upgrade and incur the costs? Or maintain an old system without support?
If this is you – if your AMS vendor is forcing you to upgrade or do without – it may be time to consider an AMS where innovation is all-inclusive.
The New Standard for Innovation
Rhythm’s co-founder and CTO, Jim Catts, goes in-depth about the technical advancements that changed the game for innovation. The cliff notes: it’s more affordable than ever for associations to have access to the latest and greatest technology for their staff and members.
But what does this mean for associations?
Innovation should be included with the license of your AMS. You shouldn’t be charged for improvements to an existing feature or functionality. Innovation should be normal for you with an AMS that is constantly evolving and improving.
No downtime, ever. Your AMS should get better as you sleep. With an innovative AMS, your vendor is able to turn on new features and updates without shutting down the system, making new features and bug fixes an uninterrupted experience.
Innovation becomes trivial if you’re unable to properly understand the new features. With every release of a new or enhanced feature, customers should be notified and provided with documentation and training materials. Think in-app guidance, training videos, or knowledge articles.
As technology advances, so should your AMS. If your AMS is forcing you to upgrade, it might be time to consider what benefits inclusive innovation could offer to your staff and members.
Is it time to make a switch?
