Today's associations are now able to tap into the big data trend by efficiently tracking and analyzing information to make better decisions around important business functions, from member engagement to revenue growth.

Although the technology is available, and in many cases, more affordable than ever, some associations have yet to switch to data-driven decision making. If you’re looking to modernize your association in 2017, there are several reasons to support taking the data-driven path.

Data Matters

Historically, association executives have relied on intuition and best guesses for making important decisions that affect their membership. As associations face more competition from social media and online resource channels, hunches and uninformed instincts simply are not enough to make the right decisions. And, given that the data to make informed decisions is available, association executives now just need the tools to maximize its benefits.

Many associations still rely heavily on spreadsheets to store their data. However, the old way of keeping data in separate Excel files across departments won’t help your association move forward. A more structured approach to automate data collection will allow departments to share information and free up employees’ time for more strategic initiatives.

As associations face more competition from social media and online resource channels, hunches and uninformed instincts simply are not enough to make the right decisions.

The Future Is Integrated

“Big Data” has topped the list of common buzzwords during the last few years, and most enterprise organizations have learned to mine and use this data in meaningful ways.

For example, in 2012 the Association of College and University Housing Officers – International (ACUHO-I) housed its data in various systems and form types, including Excel, paper hardcopies, and shadow databases, which required constant data syncing. To gain a complete view, the staff had to manually make copies of data to put it into a third-party system.

This data-compilation process was time-consuming and pulled employee resources away from other important tasks. In addition, ACUHO-I employees had to manually input and update member information, preventing members from self-servicing their own data. As the association grew, inputting all this data manually would become unsustainable for its staff.

Ultimately, the organization decided to make a change. They integrated all their third-party platforms through one AMS, consolidating their data to allow for more thorough, holistic analysis. The AMS gave ACUHO-I members more power and control over their member experience, while eliminating the manual processes bogging down its staff.

Getting to the Data That Counts

Once your data is all in one place, association executives need to figure out which data can be used to positively affect their associations and, ultimately, their members’ experience. You’ll want to look at transactional data—like member information, event registration, and product purchases—and historical data—a compilation of these data points over time—and set realistic goals for analyzing it and using it to make educated, strategic decisions.

After integrating disparate systems into a centralized AMS and automating data input, the Snow & Ice Management Association (SIMA) used this sort of data analysis to improve membership engagement and increase nondues revenue.

First, data integration streamlined the process for organizing and selling booth space at events. The staff now has SIMA’s exhibitor and prospect information in one database, instead of separated between different systems, spreadsheets, and an additional customer relationship management system. This made exhibitor sales management much more efficient.

The integrated database also allowed SIMA to determine more effective strategies for growing member and nonmember engagement. To improve attendance at its annual show, SIMA pulled a list of all attendees from the last five years and past members within a 200-mile radius of the event.

Then, to engage this audience, SIMA emailed individuals on the list with a limited-time discount registration offer. The targeted email marketing blast led to six registrations, which totaled thousands of dollars in additional revenue the group may not have otherwise received.

ACUHO-I and SIMA are just two examples of associations who have modernized use of their data through automation and integration.

Now is the time to take stock of how your organization is collecting and analyzing data to inform decision making. Is your data incomplete or siloed across departments, platforms, and Excel files? Consider how you could better accomplish your association’s objectives if your data was available in one place for holistic, strategic analysis.