Inn Management System Upgrade Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When will the upgrade be complete?
The upgrade will take place in the middle of the night on a weekend in late August and may take several hours. Full functionality will be restored once the upgrade is complete, and no later than the following Monday. The specific date and time of the upgrade will be announced as soon as possible.
Q: What will be different about this new IMS?
The new IMS incorporates feedback from Inn leaders around the country about what would be most useful in managing their Inns and will include increased functionality with an improved look and feel. The following are new features of the IMS:
- Interactive dashboard page with graphs of membership, financial, and meeting data
- Streamlined process to add new members, set up billing, invoice members, and create meetings
- Options to note financial transactions through Venmo and Zelle; and to collect credit card payments online through Square or PayPal
- Document storage to share institutional knowledge with current and future Inn leaders
- A theme customizer to personalize the look and feel of the IMS
- Improved error reporting
- And more!
Q: Will I be able to access the old IMS once the new IMS is live?
No. Due to underlying infrastructure changes, we cannot run parallel systems. Once the upgraded IMS is live, the old IMS will not be accessible.
Q: How will I access the new IMS?
The login process will not change. Anyone on the Executive Committee automatically has administrative access to the new IMS and can access it by logging in to our website.
Q: How will I use the new IMS?
The virtual demonstration of the new IMS on Wednesday, March 29 is full. However, the demo will be recorded and hosted on our website after that date, along with an updated user guide and video tutorials. If you still have questions after reviewing these resources, please contact your director of chapter relations about a personalized walkthrough.
Q: What will happen to all our Inn’s data?
Inn data will be unaffected; all information included in the current IMS will be converted during the upgrade.
Q: If our Inn accepts credit card payments through the current IMS, will we still be able to do so in the new IMS?
Yes, however there will be changes to this service. In addition to offering credit card processing through the American Inns of Court (at an increased transaction fee), we will integrate with PayPal and Square. For more information and step-by-step instructions on how to set up an account with PayPal or Square, please see IMS Accepting Credit Card Payments.
Q: What if our Inn doesn’t currently use the IMS but we would like to opt-in?
Please complete the enrollment form and email it to your director of chapter relations.
Q: What if I have more questions?
Please contact your director of chapter relations.