It’s More Than Just Software™!

Associations share reasons why they chose Association Catalyst.

Selecting a new Association Management System (AMS) is a major financial and strategic decision. How do you choose one system and vendor from the many options available to make that important choice? Organizations that recently went through the process of choosing a new system were interviewed about their evaluation process and why they chose Association Catalyst, the Association Management System developed by ESX, Inc.

The challenge

When asked why their organization wanted a new AMS system the answer was consistently “To save staff time and reduce costs.”

Charlene Glorieux, executive vice president at ATSI said, “We were entering information into the database multiple times. This took up valuable staff time. We needed a system that would eliminate repetitive actions.”

Jessica Levin, manager of communications and member services at MSNA summed it up when she said “We were looking for time and cost reductions.”                  

Scott Kleinman, vice president of marketing and membership at World Affairs Council (WAC) Northern California, said, “We had many different silos that didn’t talk to each other, internal processes were inefficient for managing events and our website needed to be updated.”      

The research

With so many association management software providers in the market, an organization must do significant research to find the solution that best meets their business needs. All conveyed doing extensive homework.

ATSI compared 15 to 20 AMS suppliers.

Jessica at MSNA said, “We seriously looked at 20 different companies.” 

Scott Kleinman at WAC said, “We considered 10 to 12 companies; we had to have confidence in the company we selected to deliver what was needed in a timely and efficient manner.”

Alonford Robinson, CEO of Symphonic Strategies, said, “We considered 12 to 15 companies and did extensive research on each of them.”

Sandi Fite, membership director at National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), said, “We researched companies for nearly a year and a half, with ESX, Inc. we were impressed from the beginning. After we saw the original demo we immediately went to our EVP to say this is the product.”

The difference

After qualifying software providers based on their technical requirements, these associations noticed something else that really separated Association Catalyst from competitors – the time the ESX, Inc. team took to learn about their organization and to understand how to best meet their needs. It goes beyond just a decision about the technology, it’s about working with a provider that is making the investment to understand an association’s business and its specific needs.

Scott at WAC said, “ESX had the whole package and we looked at the value equation. The system gave us everything we needed and we felt like we fit well with ESX; that we would be a client they would care about.”

Melinda Eggenberger, vice president of Lex Mundi says “ESX understands what our needs are." She added, “The final thing that sold me was the glowing client references. They were just spectacular."

Jessica at MSNA said “There was good followup, questions were answered, and I felt comfortable with the information. The ESX team offered a more “people feeling” and I trusted them.” 

Alonford at Symphonic Strategies said, “I had a comfort level with the ESX team and with the service and the value."

The commitment

Feedback from existing clients confirmed the commitment by ESX, Inc. to their customers after the sale.

Jean Maddalon, COO with American Business Media, said, "ESX's customer service is incredible. When we need something we don't need it a month from now, we need it now; and we get it. Improvements are made immediately; they are open to new ideas, move quickly, and have unbelievable response time."

Charlene at ATSI echoed the same sentiment when she said "The main selling point for me was the personal relationship I felt I had with the ESX staff. They took the time to make sure I was comfortable with everything."

Sandi at NAWIC said, "I would definitely recommend the product, and the team I have been working with at ESX has been fabulous; they are always there to help."

As Dan Rogas, vice president at ESX, Inc. explains it, "We understand 'it's more than just software' that must be provided to deliver the best Association Management Software system. It’s the culture of our company. We understand the importance of understanding our clients' business in detail so we can provide the best solution and the ongoing commitment to customer service. We work hard every day to earn and keep our clients’ business. Our best marketing resource is our customers."

The associations

American Business Media (ABM) (www.americanbusinessmedia.com, client since 2004) is the association of business information providers, delivering business intelligence to industry, Madison Avenue, Wall Street and the Beltway. Its 300-plus member companies reach an audience of more than 100 million professionals and represent nearly 5,000 print and online titles and 1,000 trade shows and well over $20 billion in annual revenues, based in New York, New York.

The Association of TeleServices International (ATSI) (www.atsi.org, going live in summer of 2007) is an international trade association established by and for entrepreneurs in the TeleServices business based in Atkinson, New Hampshire.

Lex Mundi (www.lexmundi.com, client since 2003), an association of prestigious law firms worldwide, represents more than 17,000 lawyers in 160 member firms, with more than 560 offices in 99 countries, based in Houston, Texas.

Moore Stephens North America, Inc (MSNA) (www.msnainc.org) is a regional member of Moore Stephens International, an international network of over 330 accounting and consulting firms with more than 480 offices in over 90 countries and based in New York City.

National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) (www.nawic.org, going live in August 2007) is a professional Association comprised of women working in construction and related industries. Since its founding, NAWIC, an international non-profit organization, has grown to a membership of 5,500 women with more than 179 chapters. In its 51 years of service to its members, NAWIC has advanced the causes of all women in construction whose careers range from business ownership to the skilled trades. With almost 900,000 women working in construction today, the industry is becoming more accepting of their non-traditional roles.

Symphonic Strategies (www.symphonicstrategies.com, going live in summer 2007) is an innovative strategic coaching firm that provides research-based, data driven solutions. They design and implement integrated strategies that create the conditions for higher levels of performance and deeper impact. 

World Affairs Council Northern California (www.wacsf.org, going live in summer 2007) has over 10,000 members making them the largest international affairs organization on the west coast. They are the largest affiliate of the national World Affairs Council of America, hosting more than 200 events every year with leading political and business leaders, academics, journalists, and artists.

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