Membership Management of Associations with Microsoft CRM-
Taking Membership Volume to the Next Level

ABC association is one of the top business supporting associations in Sydney, Australia. They started their operations in the late 1990’s, and it is now a large business supporting association with partners and support members. The association wanted to expand its operations, but it was not equipped with the tools required for managing the volume of its members. It also faced a lot of problems. ABC was missing and mismanaging leads, member communication was poor, the staff lacked quality interactions with members due to insufficient information, premium members lacked special attention, and the manual e-mail system was unorganized. We suggested a fully functional XRM portal service. It connected their website with the CRM System and provided content management through DNN (Dot Net Nuke). After implementing the system, their efficiency was improved tremendously. The member service delivery enhanced, there was better fund and staff utilization, new member and renewal management were operated effectively, payments were more secure, and lead management issues were solved. .

Problems Faced By the Company

ABC wanted to increase its membership to the next level, but they were not ready to handle the volume. There were problems that they faced on a regular basis: 

Poor Quality Interactions- Client interactions were lacking quality, which sometimes lead to membership termination. 

Lack of Centralized Database- It lead to delays in renewal of membership and customer unhappiness due to mismanaging premium member’ information.

Event Management Problems- The events were terribly managed.

Staff Management- There was poor staff handling.

Performance Management- The performance of the staff could not be measured.

Communication Problem- Poor communication and manually sending individual emails was an exhausting job. Generally it was difficult to contact members and premium members were unhappy with this approach.

Payment Management- The payment methods was insecure which complicated membership fee payments.

Renewal Management- There were numerous cases of ‘uncared for renewals’which ultimately resulted in losing a member.

Service/Complaint Management- There was no system for problem resolution and service related issues.

Poor Marketing Efforts- The marketing team was not able to coordinate with the sales team.

Newsletter/Magazine Subscription System- There was no single system to handle subscriptions.

There were other related problems which were limiting the extension plan of the ABC Association.

Solutions that they Tried before Contacting Us

They were using MS-Excel and DON-MAN- a software for donation management. It was not much use to them because the centralized information was not available, and important information was scattered throughout the organization

Our Solution-What We Have Done Through CRM

We encouraged them to set up an XRM Portal (i.e. Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 based customized system, XRM-Extended Relationship Management, and a fully functional website) to cater most of their needs. We provided the following functionalities:
New Member Management- generating leads and tracking them through the CRM. Now, they can reach the greater number of members.  
Centralized Data Management System- It improved the coordination of activities and information sharing. 
Communication Management- better communicates with present members and premium members. Personalized emails can be scheduled to inform them about any events or other important news. 
Newsletter/ Magazine Subscription Management- The members can subscribe or unsubscribe from the ABC’s newsletter/magazine.
Premium Member Management- Premium members are top level management of Fortune 500 companies. They are given certain privileges like special prices, discounts, invitations for important events, gift vouchers, and holiday packages. 
Renewal Management- The memberships are renewed after their expiration dates. A timely renewal would help in retaining present members, which is why reminders can be scheduled to notify members of renewals. 
Payment Management- A safe and secure online payment mode helps members get a new membership or renew their current one. 
Dashboards and Staff Management- Staff can see upcoming activities and work schedules. The CRM can improve the staff and the utilization of resources. 
Event Management- Events can be managed more effectively.
Service and Complaint Management-The members can get personalized and efficient service with the help of the staff, and their complaints can be handled effectively.  
Performance Management- Management can measure the performance of the staff on the basis of the tasks given to them. A better performing staff means better member service. 

Technology Used

• Microsoft Dynamic CRM 2011
• Microsoft Outlook 2010 
• Microsoft .NET Framework
• XRM CRM Implementation
• DNN support

Client Benefits –Their Improved Statistics (Facts And Figures)

CFO, of ‘ABC’ association, said,“The finances and funds are now better utilized. Microsoft CRM has reduced our expenditure of operations by 35%”.

“We have channelized our marketing efforts better. We can now focus on our branding and can coordinate with our sales team on the go. Earlier we were consuming most of our time in finding and pursuing leads” - ABC Senior Marketing Manager.

Chief of Operations accurately said,“Our staff is 47% more efficient than before. The member satisfaction has doubled and they have started recommending our association to their colleagues and friends. Superior communication with members resulted in elevated event participation i.e.  82%. New membership and renewal has become simple and secure”

There were multiple other benefits that optimized customer experience which increase their popularity.