BMFA membership Platform training for Club Administrators

[Andy Symons - BMFA]

Posted by alan p on 31/10/2018 19:36:12:

I tried to logon/register and ended up phoning BMFA, as I had gave it the required info and it said I didn't exist.The answer is if the BMFA doesn't have a e-mail address logged against your membership number you won't be able to register.

So any member not having or wanting to use a computor, so by default not having a e-mail address is disenfranchised, Have been told many times if its not broke don't fix it, the BMFA seem to have broke it by trying to fix it.

Remain unconvinced as to its viability.

To the extent one of our long time club administrators( who is computer literate and has read the terms and conditions) won't touch it with a barge pole.

Not sure how anyone is disenfranchised, if you don't want to use the platform you don't have to, your can still go along to your club and hand over cash or a cheque, or send a cheque directly to the office or pick up the phone and renew over the phone. Just like you always could, it's just there is now a more convenient option for those that wish to make use of it.

If someone doesn't have a computer or an email address they wouldn't have been able to use the previous online portal either which has been in use for 5 years, I'm fairly sure they haven't been disenfranchised for the past 5 years. Things will carry on exactly like it always has for them.

[alan p]

Sorry John nothing to do with communication, its the fact the terms and conditions are ambiguous and put all responsibility on club administrators, you don't give your time freely to club to stand at the wrong end of a firing butt.

I will let others pass comment now that's my lot.

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

Been giving my time to my club for years, alongside others who do the same, occasionally I get shot at/down, no big deal, communications the answer mostly.

[Andy Symons - BMFA]

Posted by kc on 31/10/2018 18:49:27:

It cannot possibly be " in everyone's interest" to commit clubs to paying 10 pounds or whatever every month to rent mere software! it is only in the interest of the people getting the money - it's a money spinner for them if they can get every club hooked on this system paying a monthly subscription.

Very few club secretaries will have secure enough computers to keep bank a/c & credit card details really secure so paying that way is a non starter for me! Even major corporations cannot keep data secure so the local club secs computer will be the easiest target for fraudsters. If every club has the same software it's even easier for fraudsters - crack one and all the other clubs as well. So no point in paying for software for credit card payment. How can it save money for clubs? I don't know of a local club sec that gets paid to do the job!

The BMFA membership system has for years been built on the principle of the local clubs doing all the hard work collecting BMFA fees for free- now it seems clubs are expected to pay some continuous fee to a software company as well! Ludicrous!

Just typed a long response to this but for some reason it didn't post. This is going to be much much shorter and will hopefully be very very clear.

1) Nobody is committing clubs to paying anything. There is no cost to clubs to use the platform to manage BMFA renewals and new BMFA memberships.

2) If club secretaries are using machines that insecure please don't be storing any members data on them at all. You would be much better using a secure online fully GDPR compliant solution, if only one could be found! Oh hang on....

3) The platform doesn't even have an option to store any bank or card details. Nor should it.

4) Clubs are not expecting to pay anything for doing the hard work collecting BMFA fees, instead they now have a new platform that reduces the hardwork significantly.

5) Could save money for clubs by reducing postage costs and trips to the bank. I don't know of any club secs that get paid either, but something that can reduce the hours they spend doing club admin has to be good doesn't it? Especially if it doesn't cost teh club anything.

6) Clubs do not pay anything to use the platform to collect BMFA subscriptions.

Someone please confirm I'm typing English.

[Roger Price 1]

Could Andy make comment on the following which have raised concerns by an individual re security of information and issues re Azolve

.

Azolve makes no warranty or representation that the SaaS Solution ........will be fit for a particular purpose,

that it will not infringe the rights of third parties .......that it will be secure and that all information provided

will be accurate.

At the same time, Firefox won't let you open any feature option on the 'Azolve Go Membership' website,

saying "it has been configured improperly and is insecure and my information could be stolen" (quote)

[Andy Symons - BMFA]

Posted by Roger Price 1 on 31/10/2018 23:45:05:

Could Andy make comment on the following which have raised concerns by an individual re security of information and issues re Azolve

.

Azolve makes no warranty or representation that the SaaS Solution ........will be fit for a particular purpose,

that it will not infringe the rights of third parties .......that it will be secure and that all information provided

will be accurate.

Fairly standard stuff for this type of platform, what you have to remember is that azolve are merely providing the platform to carry out various functions, they are not providing any information at all, how the platform is used, the information contained on the platform and who has access isn't controlled by Azolve therfore they cannot provide the warranty as quoted.

For example if an individuals data was incorrect they could not go back to Azolve and make any sort of warranty claim because Azolve did not provide the data.

With respect to Firefox , which I often use along with Chrome depending on what mood I'm. Are you referring to the Go membership website or the BMFA Go membership platform? Although I've been on both with firefox and there are no warnings and everything works.

[Dickw]

I'll second Andy's commentv re Firefox - justr spent several minutes wandering around both the Go membership and the Azolve websites with Firefox and no problems/issues encountered.

Dick

[kc]

Andy said " Nobody is committing clubs to paying anything. There is no cost to clubs to use the platform to manage BMFA renewals and new BMFA memberships. "

Is that correct or is there a fee per month for use of some optional functions? if so what is the fee? (We need to know now! )

In the next few weeks most clubs will have their AGM. Before we attend our local clubs AGM's we need to know what our secretary might commit the club to if they accept the optional features. Many clubs have a limit of expenditure which needs clubs approval and spending several hundred pounds on software is the type of thing my club would need to consider carefully ( and probably reject as excessive ) However committing to a monthly 10 pound expenditure amounts to the same thing in a couple of years but it just appears less.

The worry is that once committed to using the extra options it may not be possible to cancel yet still see the clubs data for future reference. So what are the arrangements in that instance?

Let us have the facts.

[kc]

This thread might seem as obscure as the Brexit discussions .........but of course it's the same thing - we need to know if and how we can get out of it before we commit ourselves!

[Andy Symons - BMFA]

Clubs will have all the information to be able to reach their decision based on all the facts

[Andy Symons - BMFA]

Another workshop arranged for those in the Northern Area

21st November, Turnbridge WMC, Huddersfield. 8pm

For more details and to reserve a place See **LINK**

[kc]

Andy you said " Clubs will have all the information to be able to reach their decision based on all the facts " what sort of an answer is that to the specific questions about what the cost is and what the commitment is ?

Local clubs are democratic clubs and the members vote at the AGM's which normally all occur in late November or December. We need the info to be able to decide if it's wise for our club to pay a monthly fee to a large software company forever. We need to know the facts before we vote! Why so cagey about these facts?

[Andy Symons - BMFA]

Nothing cagey at all. Once the details are finalised they will be released.

[Kevin 216]

Posted by kc on 05/11/2018 18:36:08:

Andy you said " Clubs will have all the information to be able to reach their decision based on all the facts " what sort of an answer is that to the specific questions about what the cost is and what the commitment is ?

Local clubs are democratic clubs and the members vote at the AGM's which normally all occur in late November or December. We need the info to be able to decide if it's wise for our club to pay a monthly fee to a large software company forever. We need to know the facts before we vote! Why so cagey about these facts?

The answer is simple - If you don't have the information you need before the Clubs AGM don't sign up to pay monthly. Leave the decision for the following year.

[Andy Symons - BMFA]

2 More Club Admin training workshops for the new BMFA Membership portal added today.

North West Area, 27th November in Crewe. To reserve your place See **LINK**

and North East area on 12th December in Stockton. To reserve your place See **LINK**

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

I'm hearing rumours that the only method available for clubs to pay their bulk subscriptions is by direct debit. With our club's bank account, this isn't possible. Will it still be possible for clubs to pay by bank transfer when the new system goes live or have I been misinformed?

[Andy Symons - BMFA]

Posted by Martin Harris on 09/11/2018 20:24:30:

I'm hearing rumours that the only method available for clubs to pay their bulk subscriptions is by direct debit. With our club's bank account, this isn't possible. Will it still be possible for clubs to pay by bank transfer when the new system goes live or have I been misinformed?

You have been very misinformed. You can request an invoice then pay by BACS or cheque external to the platform. Or by credit/debit card or non recurring direct debit through the platform.

No idea where these rumours come from.

[Andy Symons - BMFA]

There are 2 more training workshops this coming week. So far they have been very well received.

BMFA North West area workshop at

DUKE OF GLOUCESTER (Tap Room)

University Way

Crewe

CW1 5NP

Tuesday, 27 November 2018 @ 19:30

Direct link to reserve a place **LINK**

and BMFA Southern Area Workshop at

Medstead Village Hall

Roe Downs Rd

 

Medstead

GU34 5LG

Wednesday, 28 November 2018 @ 19:45

Direct link to reserve a place **LINK**

Edited By Andy Symons - BMFA on 25/11/2018 11:25:17

[conrad taggart]

Posted by Andy Symons - BMFA on 30/10/2018 11:31:48:

Posted by MattyB on 30/10/2018 11:22:06:

It's an online tool, so at least a few of the training sessions should be delivered online via a free web conferencing tool. There is simply no need to make people travel to an event like this for training of this type, it's better done online from the comfort of your own home, environmentally friendly and low cost too. No major company would delivers training on an online tool in person any more; the BMFA should follow that lead and offer online sessions.

Online is fine, face to face is much better in many peoples opinions. We may offer some online sessions too though.

On-line is cheaper and more efficient as well as being more convenient ... would help save the not so inconsiderable pennies for things were there might not be sufficient funding in future or even help negate 12% rises !

[Andy Symons - BMFA]

Just a quick thank you to those that attended the GoMembership workshops this past few weeks, I am hopeful you all found them very worthwhile, the direct feedback I have had has all been positive.

We will, of course run more if there is sufficient demand and we can also do online tutorials for those that wish.

[Alan Gorham_]

Andy thanks from me for making the effort to travel around and showing the capabilities of the new platform. Personally I found it valuable to make the effort to be there in person that I might not have made if the workshop was online only.