Case study, 2022 to 2023

A clear view, then a roadmap.

A society founded in 1911, running on systems that did not talk to each other. In 2022 we audited the Biochemical Society's digital infrastructure and set out a phased roadmap. A new member CRM and a new website followed within months.

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At a glance

Client
Biochemical Society
Sector
Membership body for molecular bioscience, founded 1911
What we did
Digital infrastructure audit, member and staff research, recommendations, phased roadmap
Years
2022 to 2023

The challenge

Too many systems. Too much by hand.

The Society found it hard to reach its members, and everyday tasks such as membership registration and event bookings were slow and prone to error.

Before

Systems that did not talk to each other

  • Several separate systems, with little integration between them
  • Membership registration, payments and events handled by hand
  • A complex, unreliable CRM, so member data was often wrong
  • Few interactive features for members online
  • No easy way to tailor what each member heard

After

What the roadmap led to

  • A new membership CRM, live in November 2022
  • A new website with better search and navigation
  • Registration, payments and event bookings handled online
  • Finance systems moved to the cloud in 2023
  • Better reporting and more accurate member data

The audit

Listen. Assess. Then plan.

We started with the people, then looked at every system, then ranked each change by impact and feasibility.

  1. Listen

    Members and staff

    • Surveys
    • Focus groups
    • Interviews
    • Communication preferences, service needs and pain points

  2. Assess

    Digital infrastructure

    • Every system in use, and where they overlap
    • Gaps in integration
    • Manual processes
    • The CRM and its member data
    • The website

  3. Plan

    The roadmap

    • A simpler, more reliable CRM
    • A better website for members
    • Manual processes automated
    • Phases ranked by impact and feasibility

Source: our published Biochemical Society case study.

How it unfolded

From audit to results.

The audit set the order. The Society and its suppliers delivered it phase by phase.

  1. 2022, done

    The audit

    Surveys, focus groups and interviews, then a review of every system and process.

  2. 2022, done

    The roadmap

    Recommendations in phases, ranked by impact and feasibility.

  3. Nov 2022, done

    Member CRM live

    A new membership system, launched on 21 November.

  4. Dec 2022, done

    New website

    A refreshed design, with better search and navigation.

  5. 2023, done

    Finance in the cloud

    Finance systems moved to the cloud as the first phase closed.

  6. Dec 2023, done

    Membership up 13%

    The Society reports 4,536 members in the new CRM's first full year (Trustees' Report, 2023).

Next step

An audit like this, for your organisation.

Our digital marketing audit for membership organisations looks at your website, CRM, email, paid media and data together, hears from your members and staff, and gives you a ranked plan: quick wins first, bigger projects in order.

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Not sure where to start?

Tell us which systems your members and staff rely on. We will show you how we would review them, and what we would change first.

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