Managed Service: Ongoing Support

Managed Service to Support Your Existing AMS Implementation

My Association Management System (AMS) is live.

Now what?

From setting up events to performing essential operations such as membership dues collection, a host of business requirements is putting pressure on your Association. It's an ever evolving set of challenges, and your AMS and website must constantly evolve to meet these critical and dynamic needs. But if you're like most associations, you don't have the in-house technical staff needed to get everything done in the time frame needed. Get Efficient has your solution….

Get Efficient offers a Managed Service model to support your association on an ongoing basis. Referred to as Virtual Database Administration, it's a convenient and cost-effective way to outsource your business-related technical needs. Our Managed Service provides ongoing monthly support for one low constant fixed monthly fee.

Through this model, Get Efficient supports your day-to-day needs and acts as your on-call Virtual CIO. We can assist with budgeting, business process optimization, report generation and more. Best of all, Virtual Database Administration grants you access to an entire team of experts who are ready to serve you. You will always get your answer and support based on a response time defined in a fixed Service Level Agreement.

Get Efficient Team

In addition, the Get Members Online service also includes an on-call staffer to serve as your Virtual CIO. We can help with your budgeting, business process automation, report generation and more. It's a model that brings multiple rewards - you get AMS software, a website and a team of experts that's available to support your association. The team includes:

Get Members Online Managed Service Support Matrix

	Managed Service Support Matrix
Included Project Services:
Project management of AMS-related technology changes (develop project plan, work with staff on timelines, milestones, planning)
Data integrity best practices advice and counsel
Initial dashboard creation
Software upgrades included on an ongoing basis
CIO Consulting:
Initial interviews with key stakeholders
Annual audit of IT processes
Regular update phone calls
Limited ad-hoc advice and counsel
Review of technology vendor relationships and assistance with recommendations
Review of technology vendor contracts and assistance with recommendations
Review of other vendor software and related counsel
Review of system architecture
PCI compliance (guidance on how to establish and maintain compliance in the technology as well as staff practices)
Recommendations on integrating technology into business processes
Ongoing Services:
Monday-Friday, 8am - 6pm ET help desk support on new system
Ticket system for tracking issues
Creation of new reports using Crystal Reports or SRSS
Screen sharing type support so client can learn visually
Support of donation and fundraising system (PACs, etc.)
Assist with queries
Support/management of membership and dues invoicing
Support of website management (site content)
Management and assistance with commerce management (selling of products)
Support and maintenance of events and meetings
Upgrading of your AMS up to once a year
Facilitation of data exchange with Learning Management System (LMS)
Facilitation of data exchange with accounting system
Creation of key dashboards (iMIS) for business intelligence
Automated AMS patch implementation
Delivery of training on AMS features and tools

Virtual Database Administrator Managed Service: Frequently Asked Questions - FAQ’s

Does Get Efficient have experience working with associations?

Yes! Get Efficient's staff and management team have many years of experience working in an association. We understand association environments with urgent deadlines, limited resources and the constant need to satisfy members' needs. Get Efficient was founded in 2009 by an association CIO with a mission to support association business processes through productive use of technology. We are in business today to assist you in making your business processes efficient while keeping overall IT costs to a minimum.

Will I have direct access to the Association Management System (AMS) to make our own configuration changes?

Yes. You will be able to make changes to the configuration of the system yourself, using SQL if you so desire. Get Efficient will also be able to make the changes for you, or help you do it yourself through a simple phone call, or through our ticketing system.

How can I be sure that Get Efficient is familiar with my software?

Get Efficient has built a foundation of expertise around Association Management Systems. We currently support Avectra, MemberNation, Salesforce and iMIS, and we know them intimately.

What is the advantage of a Managed Service through Get Efficient?

Leveraging our Managed Service saves you money and offers peace of mind. The alternative involves sourcing a new consulting team each time you have an IT need, which can result in inconsistent quality and hourly fees. With Get Efficient's Managed Service model, you're assigned a team of on-call experts that includes a virtual CIO, database administrators, consultants, project managers, help desk support, trainers and former association executives. We believe a well-rounded team of experts with varied skill sets provides you with the best level of service possible to maintain your business processes. Our team becomes an extension of your staff, offering deep familiarity with your association, your people and your infrastructure.

Is there anything that the Managed Service does not cover?

The Managed Service does not cover new development projects. For example, if you asked to implement a new widget to perform a new task or purpose, that would not fall within your Managed Service agreement. We also do not provide support on issues related to SharePoint, browser compatibility, networks or externally hosted systems. The Managed Service is not a resource for fixing your computer hardware or running your network. We are supporting your business processes that utilize technology. And all support is provided virtually.

Will I have to talk to someone different each time I need help?

No. We will assign an Account Manager to your team whom you can go to directly. You will know that person's direct number and their direct email address, and they will get to know your system and organization intimately. While they should be able to handle most of your needs, they will also coordinate with outside vendors and other Get Efficient staff when appropriate.

What kind of Service Level Agreement (SLA) will we have with the Managed Service?

Help Desk Tickets will be responded to within 24 hours, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. ET. All other requests will be managed through the Account Manager assigned to you. Your Account Manager will help you prioritize and schedule all other projects.

Can every staff member at the association contact Get Efficient?

To expedite service and to provide consistency for the associations initiatives, Get Efficient limits the number of Key Contacts within our customer organizations. For associations with fewer than 25 users, two key contacts can be assigned from the association. We will discuss options for larger groups at the time of agreement.

If I need a custom report in my AMS, will I be charged an additional fee?

No. Custom reports can be developed as part of the service and no additional fees will be charged. Report development will need to be prioritized, and work will be completed based on the priorities.

If I have a list to import from another vendor, will you upload the list into my AMS?

Absolutely. This is a standard service we provide as part of our Managed Service.

If I purchase or engage with a new third-party vendor during the term of service, will the Managed Service support this?

We will support the exporting of your database from your AMS to your third party system. We can also give you advice and counsel before you engage with this vendor with regard to industry knowledge (and what other associations are saying) on how compatible they will be with your AMS.

Should the integration require a development project, we can scope the work and offer a quote for the integration development. Whether you use us for the development or someone else, we will support the data migration from your AMS to another system after it is up and running.

I don’t think I need all of the items included in the service. Can I choose not to use certain features?

Yes, we can tailor our Managed Service to your needs. However, know that we offer the Managed Service at a very competitive price, and reducing components of the service may not impact fees.

What type of Agreement will be required to get the Managed Service started? How do I pay for the service?

We have a standard agreement which requires a two-year commitment with payments made monthly. After that time, you move to a month-to-month agreement and can end the service at any time with 60 days’ notice.

Contact us today to learn how to get started.