Forum - April 2011

on Internet connections.

• Hardware. Include a list of all computers and specify their age, operating system, size, speed, etc. Don’t forget printers and other peripherals.

•;Desktop;Software. Make a note of all the software that’s used individually on staff computers, such as Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat, etc. Each computer should be analyzed to identify all programs, including any that may have been added without the knowledge and approval of IT staff. For each program, determine the current version, type of license, and location of the original disc or master.

•;Global;Software. Create a list of all the software that’s used throughout the organization, or universally in specific departments. The association management system (i.e. iMIS, Microsoft CRM, etc.) and accounting software are examples of global software. Determine the version, number of licenses and related software, such as report writers.

•;Website. Identify your content management system (CMS) and website host, then determine how many user licenses you own and the date your site was last redesigned. Include any third-party systems.

3.;Determine;Needs;and Opportunities

Every strategic plan needs goals and objectives. To develop yours, meet with staff and find out what is working and what is not, from an IT perspective. Ask if there is something that would help employees better do their jobs, being careful not to promise a panacea. If your association has completed, or is planning to complete, a membership needs assessment, there may be valuable information culled from the results — especially related to online expectations — that also can help you set strategic IT priorities.

Also, discover IT opportunities by
determining what solutions currently
exist in the way of hardware and soft-
ware for your industry. Find out, for
example, if there are new versions of
software that you use and, if so, how
much longer your current versions are
supported, as well as what features are
available in the upgrades. If there is a
need for new software, conduct prelimi-
nary research to find out what programs
are available and their potential costs.
It is critical that you also find out what
software and hardware are compatible
with the upgrades you are considering.
For example, will an upgrade of your
association management system work
with your current operating systems, or
with future operating system upgrades?

4.;Develop;a;Philosophy Before coming up with IT recommendations, you need an IT philosophy that describes the criteria you’ll use to make decisions about IT investments and improvements. Impacting your philosophy are available resources — financial and staffing — membership needs and functional necessity. The philosophy can be stated either in a single statement or as a list of statements.

connec t

Like many organizations today, Association Management Center recognizes that social media tools play a valuable and important role in associations. We’ve produced two guides to help associations and their staff get started with social media.