Providing enterprise level operations functions for an association or non-profit organization. Other names for these systems are association management software, membership management software or membership database software. The set of core modules mimic the traditional structure of an association and provide the necessary functionality to conduct the association's business.

The system understands what a member is and what a member is not. Basic features include dues processing and renewals, subscription sales and fulfillment, donations and fundraising activities, education management and online event registration.

The system provides a comprehensive way for a non-profit or member-based organization to manage their relationships with their members, prospective members, industry partners and the general public. Typically, the system is linked to an association's public-facing website so that members and customers may interact with the association and transactions are recorded in one central database. These interactions may include paying membership dues, buying products, registering for events, and much more.

The system provides a number of important benefits for staff, executives, and members including capturing all member data and transactions in a central database, eliminating duplicate efforts and processes by staff members, offering anytime/anywhere access to both staff and members, and improving member service.

The system is the source of data for all customer information. This includes, contact information and all functional data (e.g., membership, events, subscriptions, products, exhibits, sponsorship, committees, etc.). The system serves as the accounts receivable package for the organization. That is, all money coming into the association is processed through the AMS. When there is a question about billing (e.g., who has paid or not paid for a given event), that answer is found in the system.