PPAMS is always undergoing changes, but for 2020 we wanted to bring you guys a big one. That's right we've made our membership portal a lot more user friendly by switching to a new AMS (Association Management Software)!
After using our previous AMS for almost 11 years it's probably no surprise that this was quite the undertaking. Now, I'll bet you're wondering what this means for you. Well bottom line it's more ease of use for you and more automation for us. Hopefully you'll be able to find what you're looking for much faster, and we'll be able to save time by having the system automatically complete tasks for us!
Here is a list of changes that you can look forward to:
Member Database Search
Using the advanced database search you'll be able to locate distributors or suppliers in your area, and you'll even be able to search by virtually anything in the user's profile including a supplier's line names, distributors in a specific area, and even types of products and/or services a member offers.
Auto-renewing Membership
This has been a long time coming. With our new AMS we can now offer you auto-renewing memberships! When you renew for 2020 with a credit card the system will security encrypt your card information and store if for future renewals. No more filling out renewal forms every year. As long as your have a valid unexpired card in the system you'll get renewal reminders and then once your renewal date arrives you'll get the paid invoice emailed to you automatically! You'll also receive automatic notifications when your card becomes invalid or out of date.
BUT Don't worry the old methods will still be there for companies that must have direct invoicing or payments with checks. We're adding functionality not taking anything away.
Auto Fill Information
Good news suppliers! You won't have to fill out contracts over and over. When you're booking space at an event or tradeshow the system will automatically populate your information directly from your profile. All you have to do is update any information that's changed, and the system will update it in your profile as well! Just select your booking options, pay, and you're done!
Event Registrations
No more third party registration fees. From now on you'll be able to register for most of our events directly through the AMS system. Not only will the AMS check your membership status and update your event cost accordingly, but we'll also be able to avoid any third party registration fees. When we save money we can pass along those savings to you.
The only exception to this will be our large trade shows which are powered by SAGE. In order to utilize SAGE lead retrievals distributors will still have to register for trade events using the SAGE registration software (which we've been using for over a decade, so nothing new here).
More To Come!
This is just the tip of the iceberg! As we utilize more and more of the WildApricot AMS to automate we'll be able to capitalize on that saved time by innovating even more features for members! Keep those promotional sunglasses on because the future is bright!
