Getting to Know You: What to Expect Once You’ve Signed up with Amilia’s SmartRec

Pat yourself on the back! Taking the step to offer your members, clients or community a new and more effective way to engage with your organization is a big deal! Setting up, learning about and branding a new platform is a new and exciting challenge. Educating yourself and your team is a project on its own.

But we have good news! The Amilia Client Services team is dedicated to making sure all our new clients have access to the training they need to successfully get set up with SmartRec™. We dive into the details with Lisa LeBrun, Director Client Services, and Karen Rahal, Project and Change Management Coordinator, who are members of the team that will be there for you – every step of the way!

So, what exactly is client services & how does it work?

The Client Services team is made up of eight Amilians and they are one of the main resources you have as a new Amilia and SmartRec client. “Think of our team as consultants, who are there to guide you through the beginning stages of setting up your organization with SmartRec,” says Lisa. The Client Services team is also made up of dedicated educators, so according to Karen, “every single member of the Client Services team is passionate about sharing knowledge, encouraging learning and building relationships.”

So now that you know a bit about who the Client Services team is, here’s a glimpse into how the process works:

The last step before you sign your contract with Amila is assessing the needs your organization will have when it comes to training and implementation. Your Amilia Account Executive will help you make that assessment to help guide you towards success. “Everyone gets a package recommended to them, and it’s for you to choose what fits your needs and budget,” says Karen. Within those plans, you can select consultation hours, live training, instructions for best practices and even support setting up particular modules.

Once you are ready to move forward onto implementation, the Implementation Specialist assigned to you (think of them as your main Amilia point person) will invite you to set up a meeting to discover your day-to-day business modules. This is where the Client Services team learns the ins and outs of how your business or organization runs. Both Lisa and Karen agree, “the biggest thing at the beginning of the implementation process is understanding what you, the client needs, in terms of day-to-day operations and how that will fit into your selected training plan.”

It’s all about getting the most out of your time with the Client Services team by making sure your needs fit into the training plan in a way that ensures you will be ready to do your own configuration in the system. Once you solidify your training plan, the team will be there to assist you until you launch and will introduce you to the customer care team who will support you through the rest of your journey.

It goes something like this:

What does a successful collaboration with the Client Services team look like?

According to Karen, one of the main goals of the Client Services team is to “help you set up your business in a way that will help you get where you want to go, to be forward-thinking". This means that if you plan to expand your programs soon, the Client Services team would encourage you to set up your activities in SmartRec in a way that would support that growth. She also says that a successful onboarding makes a new client feel like “everything is as automated as possible and as simple as possible.”

For Lisa, another sign of success is that you “are independent in the platform, that we have enabled proficiency in the platform to the point where you feel like you don’t need to lean on anyone to take care of your day-to-day tasks in the platform” and that you’d be ready to train any newcomers to the platform on your own.

What kind of experience does the Client Services team foster during the onboarding process?

The Amilia Client Services team want to make your experience launching SmartRec great! Here’s a few different examples of how make that happen:

• Helping you feel at home in the software: Whether you have tons of experience with this type of platform or it’s the first foray into the world of eCommerce for activities, this team is dedicated to helping you feel comfortable in the new environment.
• Encouraging you to have fun while learning: Lisa and the team know that you’ll learn the most and stay engaged in the education process if you are having fun with it. “The team does their best to make training fun and something that you can look forward to throughout the process”, says Lisa.
• Introducing you to new connections: Karen says that when you collaborate with the Client Services team you can truly expect to build “positive and lasting relationships” with the Amilians you work with. It’s a huge part of the process as trust and understanding will also enable a smooth transition for your organization. Get ready for some new invites on LinkedIn!

• Discovering new skills: You might be a digital native or you might be someone new to software, either way, you’ll be sure to learn some new skills throughout the implementation process.

Karen and Lisa’s top tips for before starting the onboarding process to new software:

1. Prepare you and your staff to be open to change as using new software might require changes in your current processes.
2. Plan to put time into your training and setup. The implementation can vary in time and will be tailored to your needs and the size of your business.
3. Empower yourself and your team to master the software so you can automate your processes independently.
4. Nominate a champion, whether it is you or someone on your team to lead the process and be the main contact for the Client Services team.
5. Remember, change is always an adventure, but the change to SmartRec will pay off!

In the end, we want you to have all the knowledge you need to get set up successfully with SmartRec so that your organization is ready to take leaps and bounds towards your goals! Once the onboarding process is over, our dedication to supporting you doesn’t stop. You’ll be passed on to customer care, and we’re sure you’ll love who you get to meet there too!