Shared Services Collaboration – Applied Problem Solving

The Challenge

In a world with almost instant online banking and the ability to transfer funds to a friend’s bank account at the click of a button – waiting 2-3 weeks for a check reimbursement for your association is practically an eternity and this delay was a big concern for the Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities (ABRF) in preparing reimbursements from the 2020 Annual Meeting. AMR’s sophisticated, secure (and cost-effective) platform is available to issue ACH payments, which are typically received within days — but the big snag was data security on the input-side. Existing models of reimbursement didn’t provide the level of security needed to accept necessary user data and keep user’s banking information safe.

The Action

It started with detailed conversations with ABRF about the needs, concerns, and workflow. Understanding the previous experiences, how financial information needed to be reported, and the end-user impact of system delays helped articulate the specific pain points to address. In collaboration, the account team and Finance team researched a wide range of tools and platforms, working to identify what could be incorporated and implemented with existing systems in an affordable and secure way. There were no shortages of snags, starts, and stops in looking for a workable solution, but by maintaining open communication and open minds in hitting any roadblock, the teams worked together to identify a solution that works not just for ABRF needs, but for all AMR clients.

The Results

The effort was noted and appreciated by ABRF, who had been searching for a management team that was willing to invest the time and energy to identify the right solution to address the challenges of the modern association world. As a result of the collaboration, all of AMR’s clients have the ability to offer ACH transfers as quicker, simpler and less costly payment options for expense reimbursement. It has contributed to greater efficiency, positive working relationships and a stronger data-security mindset in client services.

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