Not-for-Profit Thought Leadership Series — Kenjie "The AMS Guy" Davis
Kenjie Davis, Owner & Association Management System Guru, "The AMS Guy"
For our May interview, I had the pleasure of talking with Kenjie Davis, "The AMS Guy." Kenjie is the owner of The AMS Guy, a consulting practice which helps organizations maximize the impact that their Association Management System has on their mission. Kenjie works with associations to provide them with AMS management, new software implementation, problem solving, and everything in-between. During this interview, I was able to get Kenjie's insights on what makes a successful AMS implementation, what small AMS victories can make a big impact for associations, and one event he recommends business professionals attend to gain more AMS knowledge.
Hi Kenjie, thanks so much for making the time for this interview. Can you give us a bit of background on your work and how it impacts the not-for-profit space?
The goal of my practice is to help an AMS fulfill it’s purpose, which is to greatly enhance an association’s ability to meet the needs of its members and propel it towards mission success. I accomplish this by being the go-to person for all things AMS, whether its determining which AMS platform to choose, designing the AMS for the association, migrating their data, training, ongoing maintenance, or performing tasks in the system.
What are some of the qualities of the work you do/folks and groups you work with that you admire the most and make your job rewarding?
I am a passion-driven individual. I do my best work when I’m doing something that I believe in or for a cause that I’m passionate about. Organizations with missions that I can get behind are the best to work with, especially when the staff also display great passion for the work of the organization
As The AMS Guy, how do you measure the success of an AMS implementation for a nonprofit organization?
Short-term: were we able to build the functionality that the organization desired?
Mid-term: Is the staff able to use the software without many issues?
Long-term: Is the organization looking to move on to another software after a few years?
With nearly 20 years of AMS experience, I’m sure you’ve seen vast growth in AMS solutions available to organizations. What is one thing you would want folks to know about the future of AMS solutions?
The “all-in-one” solution is pretty much dead now. Unless you are an association that doesn’t need much functionality out of your AMS, you will most likely build a technology stack to meet your association’s needs. This means that you will have various software performing designated tasks while communicating with each other (at least they should).
We know that switching systems for organizations can often be a daunting undertaking. What are some easy wins you would recommend to folks in regards to simple changes they can make with their AMS that can make a big impact?
A. Seek a consultant with expertise in a particular platform to see if he/she can enhance your system for you.
B. Find out how others are using the same software to see what type of solutions they may have come up with.
C. Before looking to replace the entire system, look to see if there is another software that can be added to your technology stack that will meet your needs.
What is one event or conference you recommend professionals attend to gain more in-person knowledge and information on strategies and solutions available?
The AMS Fest (held twice a year) brings together a collection of AMS vendors, consultants, and supplementary technology. It is a great place to learn about a handful of AMS systems and to meet consultants that can walk you through a great approach in determining the system to purchase and to help build that system for your organization.
Thanks so much for your time, Kenjie! Do you have any final thoughts before we let you go?
Determining the best AMS system for you, building that system to your association’s specifications, and even monitoring the continued performance of the system can be a daunting process. Mainly because these are additional tasks that are added to your staff’s duties. Fortunately, there is a band of AMS consultants that exist to help relieve your staff of this burden and help your association towards mission success!





