iMIS Software

Pros

I feel it is fairly easy to use and flexible. It allows us to have a lot of options for reporting and tracking

Cons

I don't have a dislike for this system. I enjoy using it and recommend this service to everyone. It is good to have.

Pros

The database is easy to update, the information can be exported for sorting and filtering, and the optional features (duplicate merge) make my job much easier.

Cons

It is difficult to know from which department to seek help, when having technical issues. But when you get the right person, they are very knowledgeable.

Ease of event setup and communication w/ event registrants, Association member management and communication; ease of updating website.

Pros

Being able to update website fairly easily. Having capability to communicate directly w/ event registrants. Being able to export reports more easily.

Cons

Depending on modules you are subscribed too, some functionality seems to be limited. Understanding queries and how to set those up; understanding event setup.

The dashboards are very handy giving a quick visual of what is happening and what needs attention.

Pros

I like setting up events and assisting members with credentials. I seldom get phone calls or emails for assistance because the website is very user friendly and members can register for events from any devise they have.

Cons

I'm a report person and would run lots of them. Using dashboards to get my reporting was my least favorite but it is getting easier and actually saves paper. There are also IQA's to get more specific reporting.

Pros

The ease of use! The functionality! The options! There is so much to iMIS that can be utilized by organizations that will make every day operations easy and beneficial.

Cons

I would only say that a con to the software is that some of the modules aren't included in the out of the box software.

Pros

The software allows is to maintain membership demographic information and organize the data in a way where staff have access to the information they need. Being able to create IQA for some of the requests has been most helpful.

Cons

While I understand everything off the the shelf isn't for every organization, more times than not, we've had to customize or build something totally out of iMIS to fulfill our needs. (i.e. our mandatory CLE tracking for each state is different. There's no flexibility in the iMIS CEU tracking for us to be able to do this in iMIS)

Pros

Integration with our business processes, the functionality and flexibility of RiSE, third party integrated solutions, and hosted option.

Pros

Ease of membership/ dues/ event registration and all the functionality associated with a member centric organization.

Cons

RiSE support is not the best. The change from desktop iMIS to RiSE based s/w has been a challenge for the whole organization

Pros

The front end user have option either on the desktop or the web. I enjoy working with the extra tables and looking forward to start reporting in MS SSRS service.

Cons

New User Credentials tab for the login security, we are having to many issues with it and the can no one help use. The logon does not change if the email is updated in the profile. It is very messy.

a central EMS that all stakeholders are involved with.

Pros

Tailored to the needs of associations. Its more about adapting it to our association rather than starting from scratch.

Cons

Reliance on third-party service providers to implement the larger changes is a little frustrating as they need a certain level of knowledge to understand what the changes are. It's these extra billable hours that really add up.

Ability to view individual member activity

Pros

The ability to view a member account and seeing the different activity, i.e. how long they have been a member and products they have purchased

Cons

Upgrade to the new platform. But with any software upgrade, there is always a learning curve that sets you back.

Pros

Imis has evolved from a standard database to a full EMS system. We can track data from the website, we can have our members pay dues online and update their profiles,

Cons

If you don't have an experience imis person on site, consulting fees can be expensive. Especially when you have to do an upgrade or SQL work.

Pros

Everything in one place - events, member profiles, website; all linked into one. Managing our website is very easy when using the tools given.

Cons

It's easy to make a mistake, but with proper training, runs smoothly. Imis Rise is lacking features that would be very beneficial (document manager icon, for example).

It was a powerful tool but I have found comparable solutions for a lot less expense than iMIS. With a small staff, it is hard to expend the kind of money you'd need for iMIS.

Pros

Easy to use. Powerful. Did most everything we needed it to do. I was the power user in the office for 10 years. If you know SQL queries, you'll be able to run a lot of custom reports to fit your business needs. After moving to another non-profit, I found that there were less expensive solutions which were comparable or better. No need to spend a lot of money to get what you need for your businesses database and website solutions.

Cons

Needed lots of customization for our use. At the time, was not a database/web platform. I believe it is now with the RISE platform.

I have been using iMIS at work for many years, and I find it is a decent software that has most of the features and functionalities that are required for a Not-for-profit Association. However, I am always hoping to see new improvements on the features and functionalities.

Pros

It has a desktop (offline) version as well as a browser (online) version so that I can access wherever I go.

Cons

It is not smart enough to perform the duties that I wish it would do. A lot of the features and functionalities need to be paid for in order to receive the additional upgrades.

Advice to Others

There are so many version upgrades every now and then, it is so difficult to catch up with the latest software version. It requires too much money.

Our organization has been using the iMIS software since 1998. With that, it is important to note that every review of this product depends heavily on how the company (us) who uses it.

For many years we used the product solely as a desktop application. While the ascetics of the desktop version (AAC/Back-Office) look like they came from a early 2000's ASP.NET library, it gets the job done. And this side is often only seen by your back-end staff.

HOWEVER, the future of IMIS really relies on what ASI (the makers of iMIS) calls RiSE. The RiSE platform is all about mobile first usage. Gone are the days where we are trapped behind our clunky CRT monitors. Now a days, we want everything in our pockets, on our smart phones, tablets and laptops on the road.

While we still use the Desktop application for much of our duties, staff have been adopting what is called the Staff Site, a RiSE based version of IMIS to do much of their work. This however goes back to my earlier comments on how you use the software. If you get the latest release, and stay up to date, you will be leaps and bound ahead of many of the current users and will certainly reap the benefits of this legacy software.

Feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns and I will certainly share my humble opinions good and bad.

James Jones
Sigma Chi Fraternity
Director of Information Technology

We use iMIS for our tracking our members' activities, billing dues, fundraising, AR, and event registration & management.

iMIS is very customizable , however, because of that, out of the box it doesn't entirely manage what we needed as a business. We work with a reseller that has been terrific to help us meet all of our business needs and understand what we needed to do to get there. The possibilities are basically endless as to what you can do with it, it just requires a lot of work to get there. But no two businesses are exactly alike are they?!

ASI has been on the slow side to move the application to a browser-based system, which, when complete, will be welcome, however, once again, will require alot of work to create the site with all the custom data we have. So, even once that transition is complete, we have our own homework to do to set it live for our business.

Attending the NiUG Conferences is very helpful and provides insight to how others are using it and just how large and complex the product really is.

Pros

how customizable it is!

Cons

that we have to customize it to work for us! We have wanted to integrate it with other softwares and it is not always easy to do this, and it is not the end-all be-all product for everything, but it certainly is the base to build on.

Advice to Others

even after 14 years of using iMIS, I learn new things every day. There is so much to know. It is a very large product. So much data that is being stored in spreadsheets through out the business, still needs to be added to the member database. Keep pushing to build a central database. It is so important to the future of the organization.

We have used the software for almost 20 years and have recently upgraded to the cloud version. The move from an older version to the current was very easy. Customer Support has been very responsive to our needs.

Pros

The basic functions are included in the general package, but you can upgrade if needed. With the cloud version, as new changes are made they are included at no extra fee. You can access your data and the product where ever you have access to the internet. Works well with most computers as is not actually on your system.

Cons

In using the cloud version if your band wide is not fast or if you have problems with your internet connection you don't have access to your data.

Advice to Others

It can do a lot so you need to really be willing to commit to ongoing training using the resources that are available through the webinars once you have complete the basic training as a part of the install.

We have used iMIS for almost twenty years and during that time our organization has changed dramatically. The development of the iMIS platform over the years has allowed us to evolve our business objectives and enhance our ability to better serve our members and industry in an ever changing technological world. We have been able to take advantage of the myriad of iMIS features and enhancements to strengthen our operations, while also integrating 3rd party software as needed to leverage our iMIS investment. Looking forward to another 20 years of iMIS!

Pros

iMIS is always evolving and adapting to new technologies and business practices.

Advice to Others

iMIS easily integrates with many third party software developers to further enhance our iMIS investment.

I've been using iMIS since 1998 and it has come a long way in capability and ease of use. I never imaged I would still be using the same software so many years later, but it really has grown into a complete member management, event management, website content tool, and a super report writing tool. As long as I've been using this, I still discover new uses, tools and reports that make our interactions with our members better, easier and more user-friendly. Anything that I "thought" could somehow be done, my re-seller and I have made happen. Truly remarkable program that has the flexibility to be as basic or as complex as you need it to be.