Today's #TuesdayTips continuing from WHY to use the Volunteer Management Software (VMS) with HOW to choose the best VMS for your agency and mission/industry.

I have been a consultant or advisor for many of the major VMS companies and apps on the market over the past 20+ years, and I also stay "techneutral" when advising which VMS is best for any client or colleague. Without naming names of my own personal favorites, here are some things to think about for choosing from the dozens (hundreds?) of apps/VMS to get for your organization.

Starting the search:

Comparing features and cost; Most VMS companies have some sort of comparison chart on their websites, and usually they rate themselves among the best. It's really about whatever works for your agency needs and budget. YOU are the expert on what the VMS needs to have for basic and "bonus" features and functions!

How long has the VMS company been around and what is their reputation with customers? Is it a shiny brand new startup or established brand (that may or may not have a good reputation)?

What do you need the VMS to do; comparing techfunction levels and ease of user interface (UI) like "Horse, Bicycle, Honda, or Tesla". Are you doing simple oneoff events (like a theater festival once a year) and not a lot of reporting or complex data analysis, or does your VMS need to be more complex and customized for reporting and record keeping (healthcare, large national/global chapters)? Most orgs really just need something in the middle (aka "Goldilocks zone").

Horse = Free or very low budget, very simple online signups for oneoff events are a good example, one person at time can use it. "Horse" can also be analog (non CRM or database) record keeping like paper files, Excel spreadsheets, Google Suite (forms, calendar sharing). No data transfer.

Bicycle = Lower cost, common and simple features and functions, easy to for almost anyone to use, but not customizable or much technical or customer support. Limited datatransfer support. This kind of VMS only gets you so far.

Honda = Middlerange cost, good value for the features, reliable, easy for most people to learn, rarely breaks down. The type of VMS gets the job done, has some customization capabilities, and easy datatransfer. Volunteers have a portal to manage some of their own information/schedule, and it has a good reputation for customer support. Most orgs do well with this level of VMS.

Tesla = More expensive, more customizable fancy features, but needs specialized maintenance and care. Some in this category have great customer service, and others do not. This kind of VMS is best for very large and complex org structures/programs, and/or sectors that require very regulated legal compliance and funding tracking (like American healthcare, global or national orgs with many local chapters, etc.)

Talk to IT! Have conversations with your Information Technology lead or department at the beginning fo your VMS search to make sure firewalls and security measures are compatible.

How secure is the VMS software? Cloud, and/or internal servers? How much is privacy, confidentiality, liability critical to your work and mission?

Hassle factor; how easy is the datatransfer? Do it yourself, or VMS company does it for you?

How easy is it for everyone to use? Are there training videos or do you need to design or lead the techtraining yourself ? See my previous TuesdayTips with Liza Dyer, CVA, for tips on dealing with technophobia and teams learning new software.

Here is the most useful and techneutral article I have found comparing the top VMS companies and products:

Tobi Johnson Compares Best VMS
https://volpro.net/thebestvolunteer...