AMPAC is a product of Morant Information Systems and is available throughout the US andCanada. Because of the modular setup, organizations are able to pick and choose from the functions they need, rather than working with an overpowered suite of unnecessary applications. Each module is designed to work as a stand-alone application, but all are able to integrate with one another to build a powerful system that is functional while being more affordable than an entirely custom product.

InUse

The modules of the AMPAC system are web-based and are made to integrate with other commonly-used applications and programs such as email, social networking sites,and Microsoft Office. The goal is ease-of-use for professionals who are using technology to advance their organization and its mission.

Some of the modules available to meet this goal include:

• Module-Central Database and Membership Management
• Contact Management with Blast Email and CRM Features
• Member Gift Management and Member Contribution System
• Module-Membership Profile, Online Dues Payment and Online Directory System
• Dues management, Table-Driven Dues Reminders and Invoices – Online Payments
• Subscription, Item Sales with Invoicing and Packaging with Dues
• Chapter, Society and Affiliation Management with Chapter Dues Capability
• Committee and Board Management with Meeting and Attendances Management
• Member Customer Service and Incident tracking Management System
• Module-Conference, event Setup, Registration Category and Sessions Management
• Room Setup, Room, Presentation and Facility Management
• Hotel Room Reservation and Hotel Management System
• Sponsor Management with Sponsor Order Tracking and Invoicing
• Module-Registration with Online Web Landing Page management System
• Speaker sand Presenters management
• Module-Call for Papers-Submissions of Presentation Management
• Reviewer and Call for Papers Management
• Module-Application Management
• Applications Reviewer and Administration Management
• Module-Appointment System with Special Registration for members, Buyers and Suppliers-with Scheduler Management
• Module-Exhibit management and Trade Show Setup with Service Inventory System
• Exhibitor Contract and Registration Management with Deposit System
• Module-Advertising management, Advertisement Orders with Agency Fee and Invoicing

- Membership

• Membership
• Committees
• Boards
• Chapters

• Registration
• Speakers
• Sponsors

Users can expect a unique design that supports their back office efforts. The company offers web designed pages for members, contributors, buyers, and/or registrants to access what they need through the web site. AMPAC is developed in a Microsoft.net platform and MS SQL database and will therefore offer users a familiar place to start.

Technology Employed

The AMPAC system is a SaaS model with the distinction that the system can be configured for each client to meet individual requirements. All of the modules operate on a .Net platform, and there is a Microsoft SQL database on the backend. It is browser-based, operating with Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox and is compatible with Windows 2003, 2008, and Windows 7.

The web-based interface also allows for e-commerce capabilities so your organization can sell products and process other types of payments. It can be integrated with various acconting systems, too, including QuickBooks, Microsoft Dynamics, Sage’s Peach Tree, and Mas 200 products.

Ease of Use, Configuration, and Deployment

Organizations running the programs listed above should find little difficulty in working with the AMPAC system. Typical configuration takes only a few hours including web template setup and data insertion. The company provides user support, in addition to ongoing training. Deployment and implementation are bolstered by a number of services intended to smooth the process, including product demos, data conversion, and more. There is also assistance available for project management and administration, programming and development, data mapping,etc. Reports, forms, and templates can also be developed.

Morant Information Systems strives to increase overall organizational efficiency through ongoing upgrades and allowing the nonprofit organization to easily and quickly input, access, and use all kinds of data for a very wide range of tasks that affect the nonprofit sector (e.g. fundraising, conferences, publications).

The comprehensive list of modules and sub-modules is a nice feature for those who prefer an ala carte approach to setting up their systems. By paying for what you need, it is possibleto keep costs lower, but the array of available additions means that an organization can continue to develop a more and more powerful system as it grows and  develops over time.

Recap

The AMPACsystem has been developed to serve a really wide range of businesses and nonprofit organizations. The modular approach allows for a flexible approach to building a system that can handle many different complex configurations in order to meet the specific needs of a particular organization, while still offering the ability to expand as organizational demands change over time.

Morant Information Systems also works to stay abreast of technology trends, often introducing new products and modules that enhance what they’re already offering. For example, conference attendees can create their own social media pages for networking with other participants. They’ve also set up a partnership with Constant Contact to provide a proven method for email/newsletter communication with constituents and supporters.

The company adds that the system was designed with the input of all kinds of association and nonprofit professionals. They share,“It…offers many capabilities that completely automates and associations operations. AMPAC is configured to give users maximum capability in changing and adding fields, tables, forms and reports.”

Advantagesand Disadvantages

The most obvious advantages of AMPAC have been pretty clearly addressed already but are worth repeating here:

• The list of available modules is quite comprehensive.
• The browser setup makes the software available to professionals from a variety of locations.
• Integrates with commonly-used programs and applications ranging from social networking sites to accounting software.
  
  Some potential disadvantages of the system include:

• The cost may be out of range for many smaller organizations, with the average organization paying about $950.00 per month with support and web hosting.
• The system doesn’t seem to be available for those running on a Mac operating system.

The AMPAC system seems to be really comprehensive and would certainly be worth a look for an organization that felt they were ready to implement some of the functionalities the product offers. I like the fact that every single module can act as a stand-alone application while still having the capability to integrate with all the others. The pick-and-choose aspect makes the product feel less “clunky” than others that have more requirements for installation. I also appreciate the security measures employed and the fact that the data is backed up in multiple locations.