Basic Purchasing Principles
By: Joe McKnight

As an amateur church historian, I have spent many hours poring over dusty records written in handwriting styles that vary from beautiful to illegible. One item that has stood out in my memory is the minutes of a meeting in 1858 when the church voted to authorize the purchase of a ledger book in which to keep records. The days of church records recorded by a quill pen in a thick ledger book have long passed.

The dictates of a modern society have led to, and continue to lead to, record-keeping demands that are changing at a dizzying pace. The myriad of options in the church management field can boggle the mind.

There are some basic principles to keep in mind when considering the purchase of church management software. Of course, there is no "one-size-fits-all" solution. But, using these principles as parameters will enable a church to approach the selection process with a degree of confidence.

First, the software provider should have a good reputation and a solid record of achievement in the industry. Time and resources spent in researching the track record of the software provider can help prevent unwise expenditures and the frustration of encountering unexpected problems or software inadequacies that could have, and should have, been anticipated.

Consult with other churches within and beyond your denomination or fellowship. Identify churches of similar size, location and philosophy to yours, and determine which church management software they are using. Make inquiries to professional groups, such as church business administrators, Christian school organizations and denominational agencies. Check with the Better Business Bureau or some other consumer advocacy group to determine if complaints have been filed against the provider.

Remember the old adage, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Don't be one of the many churches with software packages gathering dust on a shelf or in a closet because of poor research and inadequate information.

The customer support structure must be given considerable weight in the decision of which software package to purchase. The sweet taste of a low purchase price can quickly turn sour when the church employees encounter a technical problem in the software or cannot determine how to properly use it and are unable to get prompt, professional assistance.

There are several factors that should be considered in assessing the quality of support provided for a software package.

• How many employees are assigned to customer support on a full-time basis?
• Can the support staff be accessed in the evenings, weekends or holidays?
• Are there alternatives to telephone support, such as e-mail or a Web site with a database that offers answers to frequently asked questions?
• Is there a toll-free access number, or is it necessary to pay long-distance fees while getting support?
• What is the average response time when a support call is received?
• Are customers surveyed to determine their level of satisfaction, and if so, what are the results?
• Does the software company have plans and resources in place to provide specialized support needed in the event of catastrophic occurrences, such as fires, hurricanes, tornados or floods?

If a software sales representative or company balks at providing answers to these questions, you must determine if you feel comfortable purchasing their product. The answers to these questions are perhaps not as important as your comfort level with those answers. It is quite possible that a church may be satisfied with one set of responses to these questions, while other churches may not feel comfortable with that same set of answers.

Whatever your needs may be, 30 minutes before an important meeting is not the time to discover that you cannot get customer support to resolve a problem. If you are purchasing the software package from a retail outlet, it would be prudent to understand the support structure prior to the sale.

Does the software meet the "scalability" test? Scalability, in this context, refers to the capacity of the software provider to offer a "tailored solution" through its products.

Is the company capable of providing a "one-stop" approach to all your church management software needs? The financial software should involve a general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and payroll. But there should also be software that keeps up with contributions so that statements can be issued. Databases for church membership, visitation and attendance provide essential insights into positive and negative trends in the church. Some churches can purchase software to address all needs. Other churches would need to prioritize. 

Ideally, the software should be available in a modular format. This allows the church to set priorities if, as is the case with many churches, they are operating in an environment of limited resources. Those needs that are priorities can be addressed by immediate purchases, while other needs can be met by adding on modules as circumstances and resources permit.

Careful thought should be given before purchasing a product from a provider that offers only selected products. Can the financial and membership information needs of the church be met by dealing with products from multiple companies, or should the emphasis be on working with one provider with the means of addressing your needs with integrated products? Mixing software packages that are not compatible can severely limit the effectiveness and benefits of all the software.

Is the software provider innovative? Are they involved in researching and developing new software applications, or has their product line been locked into a predictable pattern for years? As a consumer, have you truly received maximum benefit by committing to a product that will not keep pace with the increasingly complex demands of church management?  The advances of emerging technology, plus the changing legal and regulatory requirements of our society, demand that church management software constantly improve and innovate.

Does the software provider have the capacity and the interest to develop new applications and modify existing applications to meet the unique characteristics of a denomination or group of churches? This level of innovation can only be achieved through a close working relationship with those groups. The software provider must be proactive in nurturing these relationships and must keep a finger on the pulse of the church groups that make up their clientele.

Does the software provider offer a procedure by which the customer can suggest software issues that need to be corrected, improved or updated? Are there open and productive lines of communication that flow in both directions, so that the customer and the provider both have a sense of involvement in the relationship? One way to accomplish this is to implement user groups, in which churches in the same region come together to fellowship, share ideas and experiences, and learn about upcoming products/services.

Does the software provider offer a subscription support service? At first glance, this may seem to be a negative rather than a positive factor, but in reality, it is a favorable aspect.

Ultimately, the software provider is in business to make a profit. If the  provider's only stream of revenue is the from the sale of the product, and if the provider attempts to provide customer support to those who purchase the product, then either the sales price must be exorbitantly high, or the support must be scaled down to a minimum level. A provider that charges a fee for support is more likely to invest in the product development/support infrastructure, thus ensuring a continuing high-quality product with support to back it up.

A subscription support format benefits the provider and the customer. This is not to say that a provider offering free support cannot be effective. But the economic realities dictate that nothing is really free. The cost is being paid somehow, by someone, at some time. The ultimate question is whether the cost is measured in terms of dollars or the quality of the product/service.

There are, of course, other factors that can be considered in making the final decision about which church management software is the best fit for the unique needs of a specific church. The relative value of one factor over another can only be measured by that church.

Joe McKnight is church management software consultant.

Sidebar
Are You Choosing Software -- AGAIN?
By Pat Faudree

Have you outgrown your church software? Are you looking for a special function for a new ministry? Perhaps a new staff member wants a specific report that you can't get with current software? Whatever the reason, you're now shopping for new software. Here are some helpful tips.

1. Look before you leap. 
This is absolutely, positively, without a doubt the first critical step.If you talk to any software company, you'll hear the same story: very few users realize the full capability of their software. Contact your company by phone. Confirm with the technicians that the software will/won't store the data you want or generate the reports you need. Especially if you've had the system awhile, you may have missed installing some updates.

2. Consider the conversion.
Your database is considerably more valuable than your original investment, so you need the assurance your hours of data entry are not lost. Have a realistic understanding concerning the conversion results. You should expect 90 to 95 percent accuracy on the data that is converted, although some information may be present in different formats or locations. Much of the financial data – payroll detail, for example - may not convert.

Experience shows the conversion process is noticeably more successful when the church's staff is available for working through the steps. In fact, a training consultant should be available to work with the church during the process of mapping the data fields.

3. Don't forget training.
It's possible that a small investment in training or re-training can salvage your current system. And if you do switch, no matter how simple the system, staff members increase productivity by getting quickly acclimated to the same procedures done with slightly different methods. Also, check availability of training options that fit your needs. They should include various levels of training as well as in formats that include group and regional classes, on-site visits, and online sessions.

4. Investigate the companies.
When you buy software, you're buying a long-term relationship, not just a product. What do users say about technical support? Making suggested changes? Producing requested modules? How many years has the company been in business? Number of organizations/individual users? Are they financially solid?

5. Review the whole system.  
You may be looking for a particular function to support a new ministry – short-term missions, volunteers, small groups. Remember that you're buying the whole package, so consider the impact on financial personnel as well as ministry-focused staff. Understand the value of integration among all modules, especially financial modules among each other and with the membership/contact management modules. One integrated database provides both time-saving and money-saving advantages over using multiple databases and dealing with multiple vendors.

6. Review wish lists.  
Think in terms of a new beginning. Ask your users to list all the things that would make their lives easier. Then approach the candidates with your software needs. Don't ask, "Can you do this?" State, "This is what I want." Consider network ease. Look at multi-user options, Internet capabilities, and significance of SQL database structure for stability and flexibility.

7. Examine the "extras." 
Remember that your database is yours. So the programming should allow you to automate phone calls, and map members, and enter attendance, and read checks, and manage mail, and streamline payroll. Be sure that it easily allows such help…and more.

Pat Faudree is advertising and public relations manager for Shelby Systems, Inc., www.shelbyinc.com.

Product Roundup

VIANSOFT Church Management Software
VIANSOFT by Vian is currently used by more than 3,300 congregations worldwide in over 58 denominations, as well as by ministries and non-profit organizations. The software features:

•  A program designed to record contributions, member participation in activities and membership records for small and large congregations
• A program designed to allow churches to keep track of budget, income and expense as compared to a traditional business accounting system where the main emphasis is keeping track of profit and loss
• Tutorials to take users step-by-step through the basic operation of the programs.

Since 1985, Vian has specialized in the development of church management software for accounting, financial and stewardship applications. 
www.vian.com

Online Manager by Logos
Online Manager by Logos is a secure and easy-to-use website that allows contributors to make donations to the church and also provides a complete payroll direct deposit solution. Churches have the option with Logos Online Manager to implement either or both of these powerful features:

• LogosGiving is a fully integrated contributions processing and donor reporting suite. It works in conjunction with Logos II Church/Donor Management's Contributions module.
• Logos E-Pay works from within Logos Accounting, allowing churches to easily and efficiently provide Payroll Direct Deposit to employees.

www.logoslbe.com

ACS Technologies
ACS Technologies provides software and services to churches, schools and denominational offices. The company currently assists more than 22,000 organizations in managing critical information in areas like:

• Membership databases
• Office administration
• Donor contributions
• Online communications

Providing a comprehensive selection of software, services and support to clients, ACS Technologies provides integrated software solutions, including Web-based applications that allow users to access critical information online.
www.acstechnologies.com

Church Partner by Daymark
Church Partner is an easy-to-use, affordable church management software system used by churches with as few as 25 members or as many as 70,000.  Features include:

• Individual and family information
• Counseling, visitation and confidential notes
• Information on donations and pledges,
• Information on committees, schedules, attendance and member talents 

Church Partner combined with Accounting Partner and School Partner products provide a complete solution to a ministry's membership, financial and school needs. 
www.daymarksys.com

Church Management Solutions
Church Management Solutions (CMS) provides technology solutions to connect and empower.  Powerful management software and web solutions streamline operations, increase productivity, and improve communication in the following areas:

• Membership
• Contribution
• Attendance
• Outreach
• Ledger and payables
• Payroll
• Web solutions

CMS offers tele-training, data conversion and technical support.
www.ChurchManagementSolutions.com

PowerChurch Plus
PowerChurch Plus helps churches organize membership, contributions and accounting data, in one complete package. The program includes features to:

• Record comprehensive membership information, including photographs, for up to 100,000 families
• Track contributions and pledges
• Prepare contribution statements for mailing or e-mailing

It also features a full fund accounting system with general ledger, accounts receivable, accounts payable and payroll. 
www.powerchurch.com

Church Helpmate 2006
Helpmate Technology Solutions has released the 2006 version of their Church Helpmate church management software system. Features include:

• Church Health & Statistics module
• Memorized Outputs feature
• Built-in ability to email any Church Helpmate report as a PDF file
• MS Outlook Export Utility
• Unique "usage-based" pricing structure based on the total number of household (family) records in the database.  

Church Helpmate 2006 provides the tools to track dozens of key church health indicators and trends.
www.helpmate.net

CDM+ Pro from Suran
CDM+ Pro enterprise-level church management software gives you more control of your workflow and the speed you need. It features:

• Unlimited field definitions
• User-defined window settings
• MapQuest interface
• Automatic network-wide updating
• Web access

Available programs include Membership & Attendance, Contributions & Memorial Giving, Fund Accounting with Payroll, Event Registration and Roommate Facilities Manager.
www.cdmplus.com

QuickVerse Ministry Notebook 2
Ministry Notebook 2 is an essential Organizational Tools for Today's Ministry, a must have for today's Pastors, Music Ministers, Bible Study Teachers, Deacons and Lay Ministers. Now you can organize all your ministry-related paperwork with this collection of database applications that track:

• Expense reports
• Sermons
• Prayer requests
• Telephone contacts
• Even your own personal reference library

Ministry Notebook 2 organizes everything you need right on your PC, making it easy for you to focus on what's important: your ministry.
www.quickverse.com

Roll Call
Roll Call from By the Book is a powerful yet easy-to-use church management system. It runs on Windows, Mac and networks. Roll Call allows you to manage your:

• Membership
• Attendance
• Donations
• Groups and classes
• Visitation

The "pay as you grow" structure allows even the smallest church to afford the same feature rich software that larger churches use.
www.bythebook.com

Shelby's Chek-In
Shelby's Chek-In module effectively addresses both sides of attendance tracking: checking people in and checking them out. The checking out feature is especially critical when considering child security.

• Customizable receipts/labels can include important details, such as allergies
• Record pager information to contact parents in case of emergency.
• Churches can customize screen designs and displayed messages to fit the particular age group.
• Route people to classrooms based on teacher/student ratios or classroom capacity. 

This Chek-In module assures the child is released to the proper adult via a receipt system.
www.shelbyinc.com/chekin

Minister Scheduler Pro
Minister Scheduler Pro is a revolution in church ministry and volunteer scheduling.

• Personnel schedules are generated for your church's weekly services or events by taking into account the needs of your church and the preferences of each of your volunteers.
• Family members are kept together.
• Vacation dates and "can't serve" times are honored.
• Preferred serving frequencies may be specified
• A specially designed, state-of-the-art scheduling algorithm ensures that best quality schedules are always produced.

You can use Minister Scheduler Pro to send reminder e-mails to your volunteers and to post your schedules on the Internet.
www.MinisterSchedulerPro.com