Requirements checklist
What to ask for when choosing software for manufacturing associations.
A checklist built from how manufacturing associations 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 company register
- Applications and committee approval
- Subscriptions and dues
- Sector groups and committees
- Circulars to the right list
- Events, plant visits and trade-fair stalls
- Member surveys and returns
Roles that need their own access
Who logs in, and what each person may see or change.
- For secretariat staff
- For the treasurer
- For office bearers and the executive
- For sector convenors
- For member factories
Reports to ask for
Ask to see each one with your own sample data.
- Members by category, sector group and district, with units counted separately
- Applications by stage and days waiting for the committee
- Subscriptions billed, received and overdue, oldest first
- Stall bookings by hall with fee and deposit status
- Event registrations and plant visit attendance
- Survey replies received and plants yet to reply, by sector
- Committee meetings held and action points still open
Systems it may need to connect to
Note which ones you already run.
- SMS
- WhatsApp or other messaging
- Payment gateway
- Accounting export
- Spreadsheet import
Questions for any vendor
Put these to every supplier you are comparing.
- Can a parent company with three plants pay one fee?
- How does an application reach the executive committee?
- Can we send a circular to foundry plants in one district only?
- Does it handle stalls for our annual fair?
- Can members pay subscriptions online?
- Can the old register of members be loaded?
- How are committee papers kept?
- What would the system cost for our member count, and can we preview it?
- Who corrects a fee table or a group name later?
- Can our data leave the system if we change?
- How long before the secretariat works from it?
- What must the association have ready beforehand?
Where the work usually breaks today
Circle the ones you recognise. They set the order of the project.
- One company, several units
- Sector lists are rebuilt each time
- Stall bookings and subscriptions mix
- Committee work leaves no trail
- Survey returns do not add up
Prefer to talk it through? See the manufacturing associations page.