Your AMS should simply act like an AMS

It's easy to pack all of your dreams and wishes into your Association Management System (AMS). Particularly when you've invested time and money into it. And while it's understandable to think that it is the catch-all for everything you do with your data, that's not necessarily the case. 

And that's okay. Your org flavor should pair well with your AMS, based on what you're looking for now, and in the future. But, it doesn't means that your AMS needs to be your jack of all trades. In the end, your AMS is your system of record.  It does that really well.

What it isn't—your system of action. 

You've all heard or done it before. As association leaders, you may have expressed frustration with your current AMS', feeling it limits your growth potential. Common complaints around the block include insufficient marketing automation, the absence of advanced business intelligence, lackluster reporting mechanisms and very little if at all AI infusion.

The kicker is that these frustrations frequently stem from limitations in the front-of-house technology stack—such as CRMs, sales, and marketing tools—rather than the AMS itself.

Many organizations use their AMS as the 'fall guy' for broader technology challenges. In reality, the system of record is often stable and reliable, while the tools driving member recruitment & engagement, sponsorship sales, and program upsells lag behind in functionality and integration.

Avoiding change that sucks time, money, and morale

Let's face it. You invest in an AMS that holds the bulk of your data. With data comes power. As such, your expectation is more than likely higher than it should be when it comes to your AMS. So it makes sense that you would start looking at greener pastures after a few years. 

And yes, the idea of replacing your AMS with a shiny, new platform can be tempting on paper. Promises of a Salesforce-level CRM with integrated marketing automation, and built-in AI sounds transformative. But the reality of a plug-and-play AMS swap is far more complex, costly, and quite frankly, emotional. 

Organizations frequently underestimate the disruption such a change brings. Staff confidence can drop as teams relearn critical workflows for billing, membership, events, and certifications. Leaders and subject matter experts are drawn into lengthy discovery, testing, and retraining cycles, often just to replicate existing business rules on a new system.

Worst of all, after months of investment, core engagement and growth challenges may persist. So yes, you may have a shinier coat but you're dealing with the same problems as before.  A stellar system for managing and recording data with no action behind it. 

Bonding your AMS with your growth engine

Rather than viewing your AMS as a barrier, consider how it can become a conduit for growth. If your AMS is stable and your staff is proficient, the real opportunity lies in modernizing the activators of the house—think CRM, omni-channel marketing automation, and data analytics tools that collectively work together to help you meet your revenue and engagement goals. 

By layering specialized, smart, AI-powered platforms like HubSpot on top of your AMS and connecting them through a robust integration layer, you can enable real-time data synchronization and build smarter, more personalized member journeys. This approach allows your AMS to continue serving as the system of record while empowering your revenue generators with the tools they need to drive organizational growth.

Breathing life into your AMS through HubSpot

Seamless integration is the key to unlocking your AMS’s value. That's why HighRoad’s Spark platform is so valuable. It acts as an orchestration hub, connecting your AMS with HubSpot’s suite of engagement tools. This integration allows data to flow effortlessly between systems, ensuring that sales, marketing, content, and service teams are always cooking with living and breathing data sets, whether demographic, firmographic, behavioral, transactional, or even third party.

Through Spark, associations can centralize data from their AMS', CRMs, CDPs, EMS' , and LMS', activating it within HubSpot’s Contact, Deal, Custom, Company, Ticket, and even Product objects. This bi-directional, rev-driven integration powers live segmentation, accurate reporting, and automated member journeys—turning data silos into a single, actionable source of truth.

Year-round data activation: turning insights into action

True transformation isn’t just about integrating systems—it’s about activating your data year-round. With an integrated AMS and HubSpot stack, associations can move beyond single channel delivery mechanisms into cross-channel, data-driven experiences that individualize every stage of their members' or customers' lifecycles.

But it doesn't stop there. Because success isn't rendered to your tech, HighRoad offers additional training, adoption, and support services to ensure your team is empowered with the principles and know-how to leverage your dynamic duo to the fullest. 

This continuous cycle of data activation and insights enables proactive decision-making, improved member engagement, and sustained organizational growth—all without the need for a disruptive AMS overhaul.

This article was inspired by a piece originally written by J. Mark Wallach on engagement strategy and the evolving role of the AMS. You can read the original article here: https://www.engagementmobile.com/category/business/.