You run a mid-sized association, and you've always kept your IT and technology costs as low as possible. Now the executive team has convinced your board of directors that it's time to redo your website and your membership system. The funds have been approved.

Time to pop the champagne? Not so fast. Associations run into a characteristic set of problems when investing in new technology. If you're prepared for these challenges, you can make sure they don't derail your project.

Problem #1: Running Legacy Systems

Associations, like many nonprofits, may have a "chewing gum and duct tape" setup for their networks, servers, switches, and software. And while you may now have received an investment to upgrade a key software system, sometimes this may not be possible to accomplish with your old infrastructure. You would then need additional resources devoted to replacing that infrastructure. Another common example: Sometimes desktop machines are so outdated that dozens of new pieces of hardware must be bought before employees can run new systems.

Solution: Before funds are allocated to a new project, make sure you have a full assessment of where your IT infrastructure stands. Include this information when briefing potential vendors, so they can advise you on how your legacy systems can be upgraded.

Problem #2: Relying on Inexperienced Staff

An association's IT team may be accustomed to running on a shoestring budget. This helps save money as employees hone their skills to economize. But as a consequence, many IT staff have never been given the resources or opportunity to work on medium- to large-scale system upgrades. So, it may not be appropriate to rely on your IT director to lead a large system upgrade if he or she has never managed such a project before.

Solution: Make sure you have a full understanding of your team's skills. Assess whether you will temporarily need outside support as you roll out your system upgrade.

Before funds are allocated to a new project, make sure you have a full assessment of where your IT infrastructure stands.

Problem #3: Hiring a Brand-Name Vendor

Investing in new technology and choosing a partner company can be exciting. What agency will design your new website? What tech wizards will roll out your souped-up membership system?

Remember that old phrase "Nobody ever got fired for hiring IBM"? It's still true today. In fact, technologically inexperienced organizations often cleave to this aphorism. The more insecure you feel, the more you may want the gold-plated expertise of a brand-name firm.

However, consulting companies and agencies with marquee names often assume their clients have a high level of knowledge or sophistication, which means you get less help from them. They look shocked when you don't know what a business requirements document is, or when you don't have your own software to create project plans.

Solution: Choose a vendor who is a good cultural match. If you are a medium-sized association, a small- or medium-sized vendor may be a better fit. The company may be better able to fill your gaps because they likely have customers who have encountered similar situations.

Problem #4: Expecting Association Specialization

"Do you have experience in association systems?" A lot of associations ask prospective vendors this question, but it may be wrong to overemphasize specific industry experience when choosing both implementation partners and systems.

Of course, specific industry experience has value, and there are industries, like healthcare, where it would be nearly impossible for a vendor to complete a technology project without experience in the industry. However, in most cases, industry experience isn't the most important qualifier. It's a lot easier to teach a technologist how an association runs than it is to overcome an incompetent technologist who knows a lot about associations.

Solution: Focus on the flexibility and technological expertise of your solutions providers. Break yourself from the habit of looking for "association-specific experience."

Problem #5: Going It Alone

CEOs, CIOs, and other business executives often believe their situation is unique, or they may be embarrassed to share the details of their existing technology with outsiders. But upgrading systems without talking to others or asking for help means you don't get the benefit of what others have learned through their own experiences. Why reinvent the wheel yourself?

Solution: Call someone in a complementary industry where conflicts of interest are not an issue and ask about the organization's last technology upgrade. You'll be surprised what others will share—from exact budget numbers to the names of high-quality vendors you might not have known about.