Altai Systems

This new connector establishes a stronger connection between Dynamic 365 and third-party platforms such as Azure B2C and WordPress. Processes requiring access to multiple systems can now be automated, saving time and resources. This new version can integrate deep into WordPress to establish an invisible connection. Flows will make your system more robust and more efficient.

Even though this version is new, some of the upcoming modules I have reviewed are super easy to configure and use and will add priceless benefits to your platform.

The pricing for the Altai Easy version is fair, and the terms are risk-free. Upgrades are handled automatically and with ease, ensuring you always have the latest features at your disposal. The value you get in terms of features is truly exceptional.

This new version is not a one-and-done stop but a journey that I am excited to take, given the increased benefits I can give our members.

We are on Dynamics 365 (online) with Altai’s AMS solution integrated into our platform. We also use their shopping cart processor within our website (through our CMS, Kentico), and many other plugins and integrations, specifically to manage our certification program, membership, and accounting processes. We had a very aggressive timeline of moving three data sources/CRMs to one (Dynamics) AND rebuilding our entire website in 18 months, set by our executive team and board committee. After evaluating two other vendors, Altai was the only one able to committee to our timeline and truly partnered with us to make it happen. We are in a support structure with Altai at this point and have a great relationship. They are very responsive to our requests and support issues and we meet with them weekly. In our work with Altai, we have discovered that our organization and business users require much more customization than we anticipated. Based on this, we sometimes run into challenges with Altai's out-of-the-box solutions when we have complex business rules and use cases we need to build around. Altai has great offerings if you are staying within their default solutions with minimal work or customization needed. We tend to need some sort of customization on almost everything they have integrated in our platform, and we’ve had to build some homegrown solutions to get around problems we’ve faced based on this. They have acknowledged that we are likely their most complicated client, so I really think this problem is pretty unique to how we do business. Overall, they are a great partner and very attentive to our needs and requests. Definitely worth evaluating as you explore AMS options! 

Our organization just went live with the Altai System/Dynamics 365 a few months ago. From the contract negotiation through implemention to post-go-live support, we had a very pleasant experience. Every Altai staff we have worked with was extremely professional and helpful! They are very responsive for all the questions we have. 

Dynamics 365 is a great system and can do anything you can imagine. but it is also very complex and different from the traditional AMS in many aspects. It can be overwhelming at the beginning. My recommendation to the new customers is: starting with simple and basic functions and taking some time to familiar with the Dynamics 365 before the implementation starts so you have some basic ideas how the system would work. The system is so easy to customize, you can always add new features later. Altai keeps improving their Altai layer. New features are consistantly added to their standard release. 

Yes, I would recommend Altai Systems/Dynamics 365 for anyone who is looking for a new AMS or CRM. 

At FCA, we needed a business platform that would support our current business needs and scale with our growing organization. We implemented the “Altai Standard” version of the product with the quick implementation . The Altai/Microsoft platform has helped immensely in the following areas:

 

1. Improved Efficiency: Accounting and Membership Dues Bill Renewals processes have gone from weeks to days. This has enabled us to reduce our costs and improve our service.
2. We can access our data quickly and the system is intuitive to work in. 
3. The team is very supportive and we are in Australia and the 10-hour time difference was not an issue. 
4. The Altai Project Manager and implementation team was professional and ensured a timely, on-budget implementation.
5. The Altai Webtools is very fast , easy to use and fits into our CMS (WordPress) and our strategic approach to servicing our members.
6. Navigation is easy and quick (One-Two clicks to get to any screen)

 

We are looking forward to continuing to work with Altai as we continue our journey forward with Altai’s Microsoft Dynamics Solution.

Dynamic 365 can be a beast but if you team with a good partner, you can bring the beast under control. Altai has given us the ability to control the beast. Our organization has been with Altai since 2015. As others have said, planning is key but there are times you can’t plan for what you do not know. Working with Altai gives us the flexibility needed to massage Dynamic 365 into a smooth-running machine.

The first year and a half were not the greatest. For the most part, we were able to use the Altai out of the box with no issues. There is a division in our organization that required a fully customized entity. Within this entity, members had to complete a form, upload multiple documents, and proceed to checkout for payment. On the form, there were multiple lines of information with a complex formula to calculate the billed amount. The original Altai developer created a process that would never complete due to one or more errors. But working with the key people at Altai, they worked with us to understand the process in more detail to determine the cause of the issue. Altai ended up doing a rebuild of the process and today the process has a 90% success rate.  Some may have dropped Altai during this process, but I found they were more willing to make things right than making the client want to leave. We continue to build customized entities, some as complex as the first customized entity, with no issues. We continue to move more departments into CRM and expand the platform.

As we continue to grow in our use with Dynamic CRM, Altai is right there, lending a hand when needed. Altai is growing not only in clients but also their staff. I feel some shortfalls that may have been turned around to positives. In the beginning, documentation was slim, now they do webinars covering how modules work. These webinars become part of their knowledge base for review as needed. As Microsoft continues to expand Dynamics 365, Altai stays right in pace by upgrading and adding new features to their layer and portal.

Overall, I do not feel that Altai is out to make a buck off you but wants to help you succeed in your AMS adventure. I am a happy client of Altai and would suggest that everyone check them out.

Our project implementation recently ended in late 2018.  The scope of the project was quite large and complex in that we were migrating from 2 separate databases (1 on-premise and 1 cloud) and merging into the 1 Dynamics Online database from Altai.  The Altai team was able to successfully complete the work and get all of our data merged into 1 database.  There were obstacles encountered that led to us going over budget in both time and cost however.  The Altai team was very knowledgeable of their product and were very friendly to work with.  They worked with our team routinely to ensure that everyone was on the same page with the project and any issues were flagged immediately.  

In terms of the product itself, it has proven to be very robust and customizable (with proper training or tech background).  We have a very small office of 15 end users and 1 IT Director (myself) and we are able to manage everything on the console from data entry to customizing.  There is a bit of a learning curve and necessary training required to be able to use the system.  Altai has been very responsive to our training needs and we had them onsite for face to face training before we went live.  We have very unique business processes that really stretch the OOTB solution.  Our decision not to get a "customized" solution (due to cost), has added some pain points for our normal business process while using this system.  Altai worked with us during the discovery phase to flag everything we need and were able to configure workarounds using the OOTB solution so our needs were met and avoided the "customized" solution.  We are still in the early stages of using this product in a live environment and we continue to add new features without assistance from Altai, however, they have made it clear that they are only a phone call/email away should we need anything.  What we have noticed post go-live is that the same people that worked on your implementation are the ones handling your support issues.  It adds a level of comfort to know that the people working on your issue actually know your system because they helped build/configure it.

Early in the implementation Altai experienced some staff turnover that impacted our project.  It added delays as new people had to get up to speed on our project and learn our needs.  Altai was very transparent through the entire project (not just with the staffing) so we felt comfortable with what was going on.  They worked with us on any question, concern, or issue that came up regardless of what it was.  We can tell that this is a company that really cares about its clients and makes it a priority to provide excellent service.

Our organization has used Altai for 1.5 years. The base product - Dynamics 365 - is fine. Altai's overlay has some details which make life easier for associations. The customizations work well but their staff does not know how to document details which forces you to go back to Altai in a billable scenario when things break. There is no product documentation anywhere - none. Performance is a mixed bag: the Dynamics 365 service is ok but the underlying services like Azure, etc. go down frequently. 

They key issue is when you go online. They do not have the skills, staff or expertise to develop an online solution. Our site has been down over a year and nobody at Altai knows how to fix it. 

If we could start over, we would not use Altai but would go with Dynamics 365 and pay a Microsoft-certified partner to build out what we need on a custom basis. 

Altai Systems builds an AMS that at its core is Microsoft Dynamics CRM.  Your mileage may very but MS CRM can be a beast to construct and maintain.  Altai's solution is a good solution with a few caveats.

1)  Make sure you have performed a top of the line requirements analysis.  Don't just gather information about how you managed your business in the past but make sure you determine how this tool can enhance or support your business and whether or not your processes are still rooted in need vs shiny object wants.

2) Get a clear understanding of the resources that will be required for your system.  If you have a large IT department you can run MS CRM in house but you will probably regret the repurcussions of running this product in house in the long run as running in house puts 0 guard rails on your ability to control customization which can be a good thing but can also lead you to many many problems later down the road.

3) Use the right tool for the right job.  There are things that don't work well on the MS CRM platform no matter how much customization you perform.  Make sure all of your requirements are supported by the platform.  Accounting and ERP are not always a good fit for Dynamics CRM.

If you do your homework ahead of time Altai systems can be a good fit for you.  If you simply want a turn key solution with lots of promised bells and whistles that will solve all your AMS needs... this is not for you.

Altai has very smart people with a lot of knowledge in a number of areas.  Make sure you understand up front how resources will be allocated to you and the cost of those resources.    You should also plan to keep track of your issues and resolutions so that you can make sure problems with the system are completely prioritized and rectified.

Altai was accommodating but also understood the urgency of bringing us live in sixty days. I work for a very well known standards and conformity assessment organization and we were looking for an AMS to replace our iMIS system that would run on Microsoft CRM. Unlike the iMIS "steel box", Altai takes advantage of all the 21st century capabilities of Microsoft CRM. Of the solutions we reviewed, Altai stood out head and shoulders above the rest, both from a technical and business standpoint. Their solution is rock solid and their customer service is superlative. I unequivocally recommend the Alti Systems AMS.

Sincerely,
VP, IT

I have had the pleasure of working with the Altai team for more than a year and I feel compelled to chirp in here. Implementation of an AMS is a major undertaking. By its nature, an AMS system affects most if not all aspects of an association's business. To select and implement an AMS successfully, an association must commit resources, time, and talent required to fully understanding what an AMS is and what it will do for their business. This requires discipline and a very candid look in the mirror. If you, as an association membership executive, are not sure yet what you should be doing and why you should be doing it, no AMS will be good for you-not even Altai Systems, which has been relied on by some of the most respected organizations in the associations business. You MUST begin with a disciplined self-assessment and commitment to your organization, its mission, and its members that you will do what it takes to figure out what your business needs BEFORE you approach someone like Altai. Don't do it based mainly on a demo or/and their many 5-star reviews posted here and elsewhere.

Only when you are ready to move forward to execute on your clearly defined organizational and technological expectations, will you be ready to fully appreciate just how far Altai System's team is willing to go for you to help you be successful. We were a "tiny fish in the pond," when we approached Altai team and they went above and beyond to make our collaborative journey financially and technologically possible. They then continued to hold our hand and support us all the way through the process of implementing the Altai solution. Therefore, Altai Systems is not just an excellent and robust AMS platform that will not straight-jacket your growing association by the time you are done rolling it out. Altai System's knowledgeable and supportive team is a crucial element of what makes this product so different from most others listed here. If you go with Altai, you will have the support and understanding you need to be successful, but you still must know where you are going. As The Cheshire Cat reminded Alice, if the destination is not clear to you, any road will eventually lead you there. I might add, that, if you didn't really know where you are going, you will hardly like it, when you get there. Don't blame the Altai folks for that or anyone else. Have the courage to look in the mirror to find the culprit.

Being a career long association professional, I have worked with a wide range of AMS platforms. Altai System's CRM platform is easy to use, highly customizable, and makes it easy to create new revenue models. Service is one area where Altai really shines. We have the ability to directly connect with our project manager Gini, or even one of the main partners, Mike Frye. The business operates to serve its clients and help them solve problems. We always feel like we are very important clients, not just a faceless client.

System can do most anything you want it to...trouble is knowing what you want it to do and staying on top of process. System is not very intuitive and staff training is a challenge. For true success, the organization needs to have clearly defined policies and procedures and be disciplined.

Our implementation of Altai has been great! They provide an efficient and scalable AMS solution that will help our organization grow for many years in the future! Their implementation staff is extremely knowledgeable with the software and a pleasure to work with. They are very flexible and provide support on-site or remote. Overall, they are an excellent AMS partner for our organization!

This implementation was an Association Management replacement project. This included software selection, business process re-engineering, and implementation of a 500 users ERP/CRM program supporting 500,000 international memberships. The goal of this project is to support future growth objectives while supporting the organization and improving the value it provides. The core component is to replace the existing association management system (AMS) and all integration points, with an enterprise solution. The objective is to increase business capabilities to support operations and drive strategy, make transformational improvements, and increase revenue. The software for this implementation is MicrosoftÕs CRM and AltaiÕs Membership platform. Concept: ¥ Provide a consistent, integrated view of membership and stakeholder information ¥ Provide the right people with the right information at the right time ¥ Optimize, consolidate, and standardize existing systems and processes to ensure future expansion capability ¥ Implement a comprehensive, integrated information strategy that eliminates redundancy and simplifies data access In replacing the current AMS, this project adds significant capabilities to support all business practice areas by increasing customer satisfaction and enabling growth. In doing so, inefficiencies caused by the current system and its associated manual processes are removed and total cost of ownership is reduced.

I reviewed about 10 systems in 2010 before settling on the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 option with custom association modules from Altai Systems. I was able to use their event registration modules right away and add all the additional data and reports we needed. The dues process and membership/subscription tracking was also ready to go. It was the only system which allowed us to associate individuals to more than one parent object. My favorite thing about the system is I don't have to change the way we do business to fit the software. I have been able to customize/configure the software to work the way we already do business.

Altai Systems takes advantages of the features of Microsoft Dynamics CRM and tries to overcome as many of the deficiencies of the Dynamics product. There are still things missing (like date based product pricing) but all in all the Dynamics CRM product with the Altai Systems customization modules provides a broad base of AMS functionality.