A CRM? An AMS? What’s the difference and what does your association chapter really need?

Updated: Dec. 5, 2022  |  Categories: Lack of Resources  

If you had to explain the differences between a customer relationship management (CRM) system and an association management software (AMS) system to your association chapter board, could you? Many association board members aren’t clear on the difference, which means they don’t know what’s best for their association chapter. Are you?

There are companies and association chapters that use the terms interchangeably, which is a mistake if you have a specific goal you’re trying to fill with the platform. Yes, there is some overlap and there are similarities but there are also some very big differences between CMS and AMS systems.  Our primer will help you understand the differences and start to clarify which is a better fit for your association chapter.

What is a CRM platform?

A CRM is a software platform used to manage and track customer and prospect contacts and consolidate all communications, like dates and notes from calls, emails, and text messages, as well as documents, purchases, and tasks associated with each. Organizations use the data in their CRM to support areas like marketing, sales pipeline and sales management, and customer service. (StarChapter uses a CRM system to track our existing customers as well as our perspective ones and our outreach with them.)

What is an AMS platform?

AMS is a generic term for all-in-one software platforms like StarChapter – specifically developed for association or chapter organizations – that helps membership-based organizations manage their entire membership lifecycle in one place, from prospecting to association member membership, retention, and retirement. An AMS system’s core functionality is centered around staying connected to everyone, regardless of their membership or lifecycle stage.

A clear explanation of the difference between a CRM and an AMS

Both CMS and AMS systems focus on customers and maximizing the value you provide to them, and both allow you to collect information related to members and prospects. The key difference lies in how the systems allow you to use the information you collect.

CRMs record interactions and touch points and store that data. They can provide you with a complete view of everything you’ve done with a specific individual or group of individuals, like every time you’ve emailed or called them, or every time they’ve attended an association chapter meeting. You can run reports for things like everyone who attended a specific meeting or taken a course and received continuing education credits. To have any contact with people in your CRM, you’d most likely need to integrate it with another system for email, registration, etc.; most CRMs don’t have that functionality.

An AMS also records interactions with association chapter members and prospects, but its use focuses on serving the needs of those two groups. With an AMS, association chapters can easily engage with individuals and groups and do things like send segmented emails and marketing campaigns around events and registrations, membership fees and dues renewals, e-commerce, etc., without adding any additional systems.

Do I need a CMS or an AMS?

It comes down to requirements. What do you want to do with a management system for your chapter? Association chapters typically have two main goals – getting new members and keeping the ones they have. Look at what you’re doing now in those two areas and where you want to be and figure out what you need to get from point A to point B.

If your association chapter is stable and you want to focus on better tracking members and prospects and your interactions with them – where they’re located, have they attended an event, renewed their dues, etc. – a CRM could be enough. But if you’re an association chapter in growth mode and should be actively engaging with these groups, sharing things with them and have them act in response to what you share – register for an event, renew their dues, etc. – you would probably do better with an AMS.

Is there ever a case for both?

If you’re a small association chapter organization with a limited volunteer board, you wouldn’t need a CMS and an AMS. But if you’re a larger organization with a robust board and thousands of members and prospects to track, you might benefit from also having a CRM to keep track of all those members and prospects – if the two systems are compatible.  

If delivering member and prospect value is your primary goal, you need to connect with those two groups regularly. And easily. And you need to do a lot more than just tracking their contact information.  We believe an AMS is the best way to do that.

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