IMIS the days when things were simple!
Submitted Jul. 24, 2015
Preface -- several years back our association fell way behind in upgrading our system, choosing instead to build customized Access programs, CMS, Macros, and other tools tied to multiple databases that created a vast spaghetti bowl of technology. The longer we waited the harder it was to upgrade. We upgraded our system to IMIS 20.1 in February of 2014 after approximately 1 year of prep work. We contracted with a 3rd party IMIS reseller to guide us through the process. IMIS 20 offers so many more features than what we were using so it has been exciting to think about the vast possibilities. It also has a number of 3 party apps that can plug into the main database. Honestly, I think our group all thought the process was going to be easier than it has been. The IMIS tools (task center, CSA, IQA, RiSE, etc) all require a great deal of Developer-type knowledge to effectively implement. Our team has spent the last year becoming trained and certified, but we still have a lot to learn and a lot to do to have the system we desire and our members expect. ASI has come a long way over the last 4 years in their products, but I would say the business model is not customer friendly. Third party customization costs $250 per hour and to do anything quickly you're almost forced to pay this. The modules are great, but between the additional costs to install and the licensing fees associated with each module, our base technology budget using IMIS is becoming quite substantial. Overall, the jury is still out on how we rate IMIS 20 - we are still building the desired system and haven't been able to experience the full benefits of the application's purchased/built because our developers have to touch all of them in some way. We battle priorities and spend quite a bit of time planning and prioritizing. We hope when its all done, we'll be state-of-the-art in Association technology. But after more than 2 years, we're still about average and way below our own expectations.
