The EMS initiative is an overhaul of SAME’s entire information management infrastructure, from our membership database to payment processing to the national website to the Post websites we host, and more. And not just providing these capabilities, but integrating them—and that’s what has proven to take the most time since we launched the systems in fall 2022.
As the National Office moves forward in 2023 and beyond, we are going to be prioritizing aspects of the EMS based on SAME’s overall needs, especially member engagement. We are very likely to encounter over time new features that we may need to integrate as well; similarly, we will do so in a prioritized way that will provide the best value for members and the Society. We also will continue to work daily to fine-tune the systems we have invested in already and thank you for your feedback as we implement the capabilities of the EMS.
What is the EMS?
Our Enterprise Management System, authorized by the Executive Committee to be undertaken in 2021, is comprised of an Association Management System, which uses a Salesforce engine; a Communications Management System, which is built on a WordPress platform; and a Financial Management System, which uses Intacct, Bill.com, and Tallie. The combination of these core platforms, as well as additional elements like the Career Center, SAME App, and Open Water applications portal, allows us to fully integrate them all and make life easier for members and staff. For example, if you access some part of our system through the website, you are actually using the Salesforce platform and may not even realize it. Or when you log into Open Water, you are using the same login credentials as your member account through a single-sign-on capability.
In 2022, the National Office rolled out the initial operating capability of the systems. However, no effective system is ever truly “complete” if it is capable of meeting ever-evolving requirements…and ours is!
Last Updated: November 30, 2023
Current EMS Priorities
These efforts are in various stages of completeness. In some instances, the work may be pending external contractor support.
- Online Join/Renewal Process for Companies
- Higher Logic SAME Engage Community Forums
- Knowledge Network (LDP initiated effort)
- SAME Post Websites Migration
Additional EMS Projects
These efforts are identified to be addressed once current priorities have been delivered. Some may be dependent on another project being completed before they can be initiated or finalized. (NOTE: List of projects not indicative of order they will be addressed.)
- SAME Mobile App
- SAME Online Store
- Fully Integrated Site Skinning/Branding
- SAME Foundation Donation Tracking