The document discusses integrating an association management system (AMS) with other applications. It provides tips for integration, including looking for experienced integrators, involving stakeholders, establishing realistic expectations, and quality assurance testing. Common integration points mentioned are websites, content management systems, financial systems, email, collaboration tools, and learning management systems. Integrating systems can streamline processes, provide a seamless user experience, efficiently manage data, and leverage the capabilities of other applications.

1. Thrive. Grow. Achieve.
Integrating Your AMS with
Other Applications
Seth Zarny – Raffa Partner
Melissa Forrest – Raffa Project Manager
El Mehdi Marhoum – benel solutions, LLC
May 7, 2015

2. WHAT’S ON TAP
 INTRODUCTIONS
 ABOUT RAFFA
 TIPS FOR INTEGRATING YOUR AMS
 WHY INTEGRATE?
 COMMON INTEGRATION POINTS
 QUESTIONS
Page 2

3. ABOUT RAFFA
 Largest Non-Profit Practice in Washington, DC
 Over 250 professional staff (approximately 70 in Outsourcing) dedicated to the
nonprofit sector
 More professionals dedicated to the non-profit sector than our big four and local firm
competitors
 More than 500 current non-profit clients; thousands over our history
 Nationally Recognized
 “Top 100” largest accounting firms, 2013 and 2012
 “Top 10 “Best of the Best” managed accounting firms, 2012
 7th Fastest Growing accounting firm, 2012
 BDO Alliance Member
 Microsoft Gold ERP Competency Partner
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4. TIPS FOR INTEGRATING YOUR AMS
 Look for Experience
Integrations are complicated and every organization has a slightly different way
of doing business from all other organizations. Whether your in-house technical
team or an outside vendor is doing the integration, speak to the principals and
understand where their experience lies. You want to be sure that the project can
be technically executed and that the team knows what it takes to overcome
hurdles present in most integrations.
 Involve all Stakeholders
Who works within your AMS? Identify the departments that have a key role in
each aspect of the business touched by the association management system and
interview them. Be sure to ask them: What are your daily interactions with the
AMS? What are your daily interactions with the website? How would you like the
AMS and website (or other applications) to communicate to best achieve your
goals and aid those daily interactions?
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5. TIPS FOR INTEGRATING YOUR AMS
(CONT.)
 Establish Realistic Expectations
It may be difficult to do this if you've never gone through an integration before, but
for starters it's fair to expect that there will be some customization unless you have
a completely out of the box installation of your AMS and there is a flawless API for
said AMS. Ultimately, communication must be maintained throughout to keep
expectations realistic from the onset and as any delays or hurdles are encountered.
 Quality Assurance Plan
Ensure that someone who wasn't involved in the development of the integration is
testing it to ensure that the goals identified at the onset of the project are
accomplished.
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6. WHY INTEGRATE?
 Streamline Processes
 Financial Management
 Content Management/Website
 Email/Marketing
 Seamless Experience
 Efficient Data Management
 Reduce Duplicate Data Entry
 Reduce Data Entry Errors
 Time Savings
 Leverage Capabilities of Other Applications vs. Rebuilding
Functionality
 One of the most important characteristics of many AMS systems today is that they
are designed to share information across the enterprise and easily integrate with
third-party solutions.
 Cost Savings
6

7. COMMON INTEGRATION POINTS
Organizations commonly integrate their AMS in the following areas:
 Website
 Content Management System (CMS)
 Financial Systems
 Email
 Collaboration Tools
 Learning Management System (LMS)
7

8. THANK YOU
9
Seth Zarny – Partner
szarny@raffa.com
301.279.6500
Melissa Forrest - Business Systems Consultant
mforrest@raffa.com
202.955.7227
Evette Collins – Account Executive
ecollins@raffa.com
202.955.6708

9. Get Up and Move Forward

10. About benel
 Full Implementation Services
 Customizations to netFORUM and Personify including
o Back-end, Website and Web Services
o Scheduled Tasks & Processes, Stored Procedures
o Custom Reports Development
o Existing Code Remediation on a Time and Material Basis
 Integrations
 Upgrade Audits & Upgrade Consulting
 Standard Operating Procedures Development
 User Training
 Documentation
o Examples: Back to Baseline Consulting
 Rewrite/Refine SOP’s
 Make recommendations on how to replace custom with baseline

11. Some clients of benel

12. Some clients of benel

13. Presenter Background
El Mehdi Marhoum
Prior to founding BENEL solutions, EL Mehdi held various roles
ranging from Software Engineer climbing quickly to the ranks
of an Enterprise Solutions Architect.
As a successful and respected Technical Lead and Solution
Architect at Avectra (now Abila), El Mehdi has learned the
association and fundraising businesses which gives him the
business acumen to match his technical skills.
EL Mehdi has held various officer positions across several
associations dating back to college from Social Chairman to
President and is currently active with multiple associations and
nonprofits in his community.

14. Enterprise
Resource Planning

15. Reference: Wikipedia

16. Why Integrate?

18. Integration Implementation Process

19. Data Cleansing

20. Individual and
Constituent Data
Warehouses

21. Real-timeTransactions

23.  CQ Roll Call Engage
 Avalara AvaTax
 Citrix GoToWebinar/Meeting
 Infusionsoft
 Wordpress
 Knowledge DIRECT (LMS)
 TOPYX (LMS)
 Webex
 RealMagnet MA
 AMS Analytics (Qlik)
 A2Z
 Salesforce
Sample AMS Integrations

24. Questions & Contact
El Mehdi Marhoum
VP & Co-Founder
Benjamin Muscolino
President and Co-Founder
p. 703.556.3960
e. contact@benelsolutions.com
Twitter
@benelsolutions
Facebook
BenelSolutions