Your association is all about people. Members are what makes you thrive. But you wouldn't be able to do it without technology.
Associations have come to count on a wide range of technology to drive non-dues revenue, track membership, and generate a thriving community. Two of the biggest players in any association's tech stack are association management systems (AMS) and learning management systems (LMS). The former serves to manage member information, track membership fees and renewals, communicate with members, and more. An LMS, on the other hand, houses online educational materials.
These two systems are integral to the success of your association. Each of them can do a lot on their own, but you'll get the most value if they integrate with one another. Below, we've laid out some of the key reasons that AMS-LMS integration is beneficial to efficient association management.
1. Streamlined Member Management
One of the most crucial tasks facing association professionals is the management of member information, including their education and training history. AMS-LMS integration transforms this task from a time-consuming, error-prone task, into a streamlined, efficient, and accurate one.
With an integrated AMS-LMS system, associations can quickly and easily access member information, including their certifications, training history, and continuing education credits. This data can be used to create targeted communications, track member engagement and send personalized reminders to members.
AMS-LMS integration can also save time and money for associations by reducing administrative workload and improving workflow efficiency. An integrated system can automate many of the manual tasks associated with member management, such as updating member information and tracking certifications. This frees up staff time for other important tasks, such as planning events or developing new educational programs.
2. Better Data Tracking
You work hard to improve the reach, revenue, and retention of your association. But that's not enough on its own; you'll have to prove it, too. AMS-LMS integration can help you do exactly that, driving deeper insight into the outcomes of your events, online learning, and other membership engagement activities.
It lets you centralize all of your member data, eliminating the need for multiple systems and error-prone, manual data entry. This significantly reduces the potential for errors and inconsistencies in data. The system can automatically update member information, such as their certifications, training history, and continuing education credits, and provide real-time data on member engagement and participation.
In addition, the integration of AMS and LMS can provide more accurate and detailed reporting on member engagement, training, and education trends. This helps associations identify areas where they need to focus their efforts and make data-driven decisions about their educational programs. The system can also provide insights on member engagement and participation, which makes it easier to identify and target specific groups of members, such as those who have not yet completed a particular course or those who have not engaged with your LMS for a while.
Finally, AMS-LMS integration can facilitate compliance and reporting requirements. For example, if an association need to track and report on continuing education requirements for its members, an integrated system can automate this process by tracking completion and generating reports in no time.
3. More Engagement
If you're an association professional, AMS-LMS integration is great for you. But, just as importantly, it's great for your members, too. An integrated AMS-LMS system allows you to utilize single sign-on (SSO). That way, your members can use the authentication they already have in place to access educational content.
This is a big deal. It allows for easy access to member education and training records. By providing a seamless and user-friendly interface, members can easily find and register for courses and track their progress. This eliminates obstacles for learners to engage with your LMS, driving engagement and ultimately revenue to new heights.
The integration of AMS and LMS also provides more personalized experiences for your members. By tracking such information such as their interests, education, and learning history, associations can create targeted communications and make personalized course recommendations. This makes a world of difference for retention.
Your members shouldn't have to jump through hoops to start learning. An LMS that integrates with your AMS will make engaging with your association a seamless, branded, cohesive experience from start to finish.
4. Improved Efficiency
Technology exists to make life easier. If your association invests in an integrated AMS-LMS system, you're ultimately investing in a way to reduce administrative workload and improve workflow efficiency. This automates many of the manual tasks associated with member management, such as updating member information, tracking certifications, and managing course registration, and more.
We've touched on data tracking already. It' crucial to note that this streamlined reporting can save valuable time by providing real-time data on member engagement and participation. This helps associations identify the areas where they most need to focus their efforts, and make expeditious, data-driven decisions about their educational programs. After all, time is your most valuable resource.
Why does all this matter? Because time is your most valuable resource. The improved efficiency afforded by AMS-LMS integration frees up staff time for what really matters: providing the best experience possible to your members.
AMS-LMS integration is just one box to check as you search for the perfect learning platform for your association. There's a lot more you should keep an eye out for in an LMS that will drive member engagement, renewals, and non-dues revenue.
We put together this free guide to help you along. Download it here to streamline your search for the ultimate association LMS.
