Be ready with the right questions: HFTP and CMAA create a request for information guide to help clubs select an integrated club system.

Hundreds of questions and proper research is key to getting the right integrated club system, but acquiring this information is a cumbersome task for club professionals. Understanding this, both the Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) and the Club Managers Association of America (CMAA) have come together and created a Request for Information (RFI) document for clubs to use as a reference tool and guideline in developing requests for information from technology vendors. The purpose is to provide a starting point for clubs when beginning a relationship with vendors. The RFI is available at both www.hftp.org and www.cmaa.org with the intention for use by both club professionals and vendors.

"From listening to our members, both HFTP and CMAA realized that one of the road blocks to acquiring a management system that fit right with a specific club was that the club professionals did not know what information they needed to ask to get it," said Frank Agnello, CMA, CHAE, HFTP president and controller at the Wyndgate Country Club. "Knowing that, we combined our resources to research and create this valuable tool."

The template helps reduce difficulties for both clubs and vendors. For club professionals, it provides a research starting point and ensures that they gather the necessary information for a knowledgeable decision. It also helps clubs make apples-to-apples comparisons with the information they receive back from vendors. For vendors, once they are familiar with the template, it will help them be prepared in advance with the type of information that will be requested.

"The RFI helps make the process unfold in a way that's more organized," said Ed Merritt, Ph.D., the project's facilitator and a professor of management at California State University (Cal Poly Pomona). "With the process better organized, it's easier to compare information through all stages of implementation."

The comprehensive document was created by the HFFP Club Technology Standards council, consisting of club professionals, club software and hardware vendors and CMAA. The project was facilitated by Dr. Merritt. It has eight sections, including vendor information, technical requirements, investment considerations, customer service and support, and references. The guide, created to anticipate as many operating elements as possible, has prompts intended to capture complete details. Clubs are encouraged to skip elements and or sections that are not applicable to a club; or, if a club has operating areas not covered by the RFI, they should be added in order to help ensure completeness of information.