Requirements checklist
What to ask for when choosing software for chambers of commerce.
A checklist built from how chambers of commerce work, to print or save as a PDF and bring to any supplier meeting.
What the software should cover
Tick each one that matters to your business.
- Member register by firm and contact
- Tiers and subscription renewals
- Endorsement and certificate desk
- Events, expos and delegations
- Sponsorship and advertising packages
- Councils, committees and meeting papers
- Member communications
Roles that need their own access
Who logs in, and what each person may see or change.
- Chief executive and directors
- Membership officer
- Finance clerk
- At the trade desk
- Events and sponsorship team
Reports to ask for
Ask to see each one with your own sample data.
- Active, lapsed and resigned firms by sector
- Renewals due, reminded and overdue by tier
- Endorsements issued by month and document type
- Event attendance and takings by function
- Expo stands sold and deposits outstanding
- Sponsorship promised against delivered
- Council attendance by member firm
Systems it may need to connect to
Note which ones you already run.
- SMS
- WhatsApp or other messaging
- Payment gateway or bank feed
- Accounting export
- Website member directory
- Calendar invitations
Questions for any vendor
Put these to every supplier you are comparing.
- Is this built for a chamber or for any membership club?
- Does it decide which documents the chamber may endorse?
- Can a firm belong to several councils?
- How are tiers decided?
- What happens to a firm that stops paying?
- Can we sell expo stands and track deposits?
- Can we send a circular only to importers?
- Can member data be exported?
- How is the chamber charged?
- Does a chamber with few members need this?
- When could the secretariat stop using separate lists?
- What does the secretariat need to gather?
Where the work usually breaks today
Circle the ones you recognise. They set the order of the project.
- Lapsed members are found late
- Document endorsements are logged on paper
- Tiers are applied by memory
- Event money sits apart from member money
- Council membership is out of date
Prefer to talk it through? See the chambers of commerce page.