It wasn’t too long ago when churches had to go to multiple vendors for each product they used at their facilities. Church management software was with one company; online giving, websites and mobile apps were with others. Fortunately, with the advances in technology in the past few years, that doesn’t have to be the case any longer.
There are still companies in the church technology space that focus on one primary service to churches, and that’s fine. They do it well and have no desire to add any other features to their current offerings. I’m not here to discount their business model. However, I want to give you four reasons why having all of the technology solutions your church uses in one ecosystem is a good idea.
1. Single Sign-ons Are Great: I’m not sure about you, but I have a tough time remembering all my passwords to every solution I use. Everyone has a different requirement. You have to use a capital letter in one but can’t use it in another. Special characters are allowed in one but not allowed in another. I have to have a protected document just to keep my passwords handy in case I can’t remember them, which is often. Having a single sign-on eliminates this hassle. It also allows you to make use of one dashboard for all the products and services at your disposal.
2. The Technology Integrates with Other Technology More Effectively: When was the last time you asked yourself if your online giving integrated with your mobile app or church management software, or if your mobile app automatically updates when you update your website? Does it? There are platforms currently on the market that offer myriad solutions in one ecosystem that integrate or talk with one another. twenty:28, SimpleChurchCRM and SiteOrganic are a few to consider. They all offer several solutions that function really well with one another.
3. The Price Points for the Services Are Almost Always Lower: This is where economies of scale comes in to play. Remember that from high school and college economics classes? In short, the more services you use within the ecosystem, the faster it scales, and the less expensive each service becomes. That translates into less cost and more freedom to minister to your congregation and community.
4. It Streamlines the Amount of Time It Takes for Tasks to Be Done: That means less time for administrative tasks and more time for ministry, which always is a positive for any church, ministry or non-profit organization. Entities such as these often employ fewer people who wear multiple hats, spreading the time they have for administrative functionality very thin.
I’m curious to hear from you to see if you or your church use technology that is segmented or in one ecosystem and what you feel the pros and cons are to each. What companies do you use in the church technology space that do what you need for them to do really well? Reach out to me on Twitter @mattmorris80.