Client Success with iMIS

Builders Merchants Federation (BMF)

Builders Merchants Federation Success with iMIS Membership Software

Located in Coventry, England, the Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) is the only organisation that represents and protects the interests of builders merchants, plumbing, heating, roofing, decorative and timber merchants and their suppliers. An iMIS client since 2016, the federation is the authoritative voice for the building materials distribution sector, providing training and development, business support, access to market data, networking opportunities and political representation. BMF's 340 merchant members operate in more than 5,000 branches across the United Kingdom.

“Before using iMIS, we had lots of data silos. Bringing everything together has created a number of immediate efficiencies, including a central repository for data, lower data security risks, and more effective/faster information sharing.”

Challenge

The federation had an out-of-date CRM that staff was reluctant to use so departments would manage data in separate spreadsheets. Its biggest challenge was the amount of manual data entry required because of the large number of disparate systems — and the amount of time spent on transferring data between systems. BMF's website was not particularly easy for members to use and it did not integrate with the legacy CRM, thereby causing more duplication of effort.

Solution

Increasing membership growth and retention was a huge focus for BMF. While implementing iMIS, the federation also built a new website, providing downloadable content, networking opportunities, and new ways for members to engage online. BMF began using iMIS for virtually every area of its business, including managing membership, organising events, and training. The centralised system eliminated the need for duplicative data entry, streamlined processes, and allowed for more accurate and targeted communications with members.

Results

BMF's big win is the number of new members joining the federation. Besides actively selling memberships via traditional methods, it now receives new applications online because all the information a prospect would need to make an informed decision is on the website. BMF saw membership grow by 12% in just the first year. The staff is now more efficient and members are loyal — BMF decreased its attrition rate from 2% to just .5% in one year.