Good news! Your association finally selected a new AMS. The (perhaps) not so great news. You’re the project manager; yet, you’ve never implemented a new AMS. Silver lining– Your AMS vendor assigned a project manager to your implementation. Relieved, you think, “Whew! Thankfully, someone who knows what they’re doing can lead this.”
Don’t get too excited. Yes, your AMS vendor has an implementation project manager (PM), but your association needs its own PM to keep your team on track and look out for your association’s interests.
AMS Implementation Primer
Many association professionals become accidental project managers despite lacking PM training or experience. Project management is a profession with its own set of credentials (you can see a few PMPs in our team bios). Experienced PMs keep projects on schedule and on budget.
Project management is a huge topic. Here we’ll share some of the essentials. Start here, but we encourage you to supplement this information with resources from the Project Management Institute.
The Players
Project Manager. As the PM, you’re the project team leader. It’s a job that’s often compared to herding cats; the PM must keep a cross-departmental team focused on a common purpose.
A project manager should be a:
- People person—an excellent communicator who regularly checks in with team members and keeps all stakeholders in the loop.
- Team cheerleader who provides inspiration when motivation is flagging and celebrates small wins along the way.
- Negotiator and mediator who deals with conflict and resolves issues immediately.
You should remain flexible and unruffled (on the outside). Stuff happens—that’s the nature of complex projects, like an AMS implementation. You must constantly scan the horizon for potential hiccups and risks, and tweak your plan appropriately.
Project Sponsor. Every project needs a sponsor or champion. This is a person in the C-suite or senior management who is not only a true champion of the project but has the authority to deliver the budget and staff resources needed.
They serve as a liaison with staff and volunteer leaders. They get stubborn department heads in line and keep everyone bought in to the project’s goals and its alignment with the association’s goals and strategy. The sponsor is a project manager’s major resource during the project.
Project Stakeholders. AMS users and users of AMS data are the project’s subject matter experts and stakeholders. With their understanding of data, reports, processes, integrations, and user experience, they must be involved in requirements gathering or the new AMS won’t meet their expectations.
Project Team. The project team includes a representative from each primary stakeholder group who will use the AMS or use its data. For example, staff from IT, membership, marketing, meetings, or education could make up your team. Each team member must understand their project role and responsibilities—a RACI or DACI chart can help. They must be available for project meetings, software testing, and training.
Project Charter. Start your project with a brief project charter that includes:
Get Your “Paper” Together
- Project description, purpose, and scope
- Project success metrics
- Project team members
- Decision-making authority
- Project budget
PMs hold the last word on your project’s scope—what the project will deliver, what’s in scope, and what isn’t. The project team, sponsor, and stakeholders must also understand the scope. They must know from the very beginning which requirements (features and functionality) are within scope and which aren’t so their expectations are managed.
Beware of requests to change project scope. Avoid customization. The short-term impact of customization is not often worth the costs or the inability to download updates and new releases.
Project Budget. The new software cost isn’t the only budget line. Consider budgeting for consultants, contractors, or temporary staff to help with requirements, selection, implementation, configurations, integrations, data cleansing, data migration, or even your “real job.”
Make Your Project Plan
Consult your AMS vendor’s team when creating your project timeline to allow enough time for all project tasks—even the ones you didn’t know about.
Coordinate the timeline with your association’s calendar. You need to account for time not devoted to the implementation such as the membership renewal cycle, major events, board meetings, and budget cycle. Then, build in a buffer for the unexpected—they always happen.
With your core project team, develop a project plan with tasks. Spend time identifying risks and draft a plan to overcome them.
Look into using project management software (e.g. Asana, Smartsheet, or even Microsoft Planner) to keep your team on track.
Include the project sponsor and team. On the agenda:
- Project goals and scope
- Team responsibilities
- Project timeline
- Meeting and communication tools
- Ground rules and expectations
- Decision-making
*Pro tip: Use your project charter, so you don’t feel like you have to recreate content!
Conclusion
Being an association PM is a big job, especially with a complex project like an AMS implementation. While a successful implementation is very rewarding, the tasks leading up to it can be overwhelming. If you’re new, learn the basics and grow your knowledge. However, if you don’t have the experience or time to lead an AMS project, consider working with a professional project manager.
Contact us today to learn how our certified PMPs can help you implement your new AMS in less time, with greater adoption, thus saving you time and money over the total lifecycle of your AMS.