Reimagining Member Experience: A Mission Worth Modernizing

Over the past several months, our team at Concurrency had the privilege of partnering with a nonprofit membership organization to help chart a new course for their technology strategy. What began as a modernization effort quickly evolved into something deeper – a shared commitment to simplifying how members learn, attend, and belong.

This organization’s mission is rooted in education and service, but like many organizations with legacy systems, they were facing mounting challenges. Fragmented tools, manual processes, and siloed data were creating friction for both members and staff. These inefficiencies weren’t just operational; they were strategic blockers, impacting renewals, reporting, and the ability to scale.

Listening First: What We Heard

Through dozens of one-on-one conversations with leaders across the organization, we heard a consistent theme: the technology wasn’t just outdated – it was getting in the way of delivering value. Below are some common ideas that supported this:

• Staff described spending hours reconciling data, manually processing registrations, and troubleshooting fragile workflows. These weren’t edge cases; they were daily realities. The burden was especially heavy in areas where disconnected systems and inconsistent reporting slowed down decisions and strained capacity.
• In HR and Talent, legacy systems were making it harder to recruit and retain skilled staff. New hires were expected to learn outdated tools, and the organization often faced a trade-off between training junior talent or hiring expensive short-term experts.
• The certification process revealed how deeply technical limitations were affecting academic integrity and operational control. From exam enrollments to proctoring and reporting, the reliance on third-party platforms and manual workarounds was creating latency and risk.

Even with these jarring problems, what stood out most was the openness to change. Leaders consistently spoke candidly about the cultural shifts needed to move forward: clearer ownership, more transparency, and a willingness to question legacy practices. Across the organization, there was a shared recognition that their systems needed to evolve to support growth.

Designing the Roadmap

Together, we developed a three-horizon roadmap that aligns technology improvements directly to member outcomes. The plan doesn’t rely on re-platforming or wholesale disruption. Instead, it focuses on targeted, high-impact changes: unified identity and payment systems, real-time reporting, and human-centered UX enhancements that make it easier for members to do things like register for events, redeem credits, and engage with their community.

This transformation is already underway. Horizon 1, which began recently, focuses on stabilizing core systems and simplifying top member tasks. Horizon 2 will unify experiences across platforms, and Horizon 3 will introduce predictive analytics and AI-driven personalization. Each phase is designed to deliver measurable impact – from faster reporting to increased renewals and staff efficiency.

Culture, Clarity, and Confidence

What makes this initiative stand out is the cultural shift it supports. By simplifying journeys and clarifying ownership, this client is building a stronger foundation, not just for technology, but for trust. Staff will be empowered with better tools and clearer governance. Members will benefit from faster service and more intuitive experiences. And leadership will gain the visibility needed to make confident, data-driven decisions.

This roadmap is more than a set of deliverables. It’s a blueprint for transformation that balances quick wins with long-term vision. It positions this organization as a modern leader in lifelong learning and member services, ready to scale impact without sacrificing integrity.

What Made This Project Successful

1. Seamless Knowledge Transfer During Resource Transitions

Over the course of this six-month project, we navigated several resource changes due to varying reasons. The key to maintaining momentum was ensuring that every new team member was quickly and thoroughly onboarded. Given the project’s reliance on stakeholder insights, it was critical that incoming resources had a strong grasp of the context and objectives from day one.

2. Strong Executive Engagement

Consistent leadership involvement played a pivotal role in the project’s success. Weekly executive calls not only streamlined communication but also fostered trust and accelerated decision-making. This level of engagement proved to be a major factor in keeping the project aligned and responsive to evolving needs.

3. Comprehensive Integration Mapping

The client’s technology ecosystem was highly complex, with a mix of manual processes and varying degrees of one-way and two-way integrations. To gain a full understanding, we collaborated closely with their IT team to map out every system and its interdependencies. This exercise gave us a clear view of the landscape and became a powerful reference point in subsequent discussions and planning sessions.

Looking Ahead

This roadmap marks just the beginning of their technology modernization journey. We’re already laying the groundwork for the next phase, and the momentum is building. It’s exciting to move forward together, with a shared purpose, strong collaboration, and a clear vision for what’s ahead.

If your organization is navigating similar challenges – legacy systems, complex member journeys, or the need to align technology with mission – we’d love to chat.