Press Releases

Switchback Introduces New Web-based Membership Management System

The new CRM, Caravan, is designed for membership-driven organizations. Ann Arbor, Michigan, Oct 21, 2009 – Switchback, a web development firm specializing in open source content management (CMS) and client relationship management (CRM) systems, announces the release of their new web-based membership management system, Caravan™.

The system was built on two open-source platforms, Drupal and CiviCRM, which were modified and extended to meet the unique needs of membership-driven, non-profit organizations. Features include:

• customizable membership database,
• full-featured email marketing,
• online event management,
• detailed interaction and relationship tracking,
• automated dues collection and fundraising, and
• advanced searching capabilities and data exports.

Caravan was developed in collaboration with the Traverse City Chamber of Commerce, who, in an effort to streamline their internal processes, contracted Switchback to design a new membership management system that would better integrate with their workflow. Switchback cofounder, Mike Monan, explains, “We found that the biggest problem many organizations have with their membership management system is staff adoption. So, we knew that for Caravan to be a success, it had to be easy-to-use. We spent a lot of time on usability testing and re-architecture to make Caravan fast and intuitive.”

Caravan is offered as a software as a service (SaaS) product—Switchback provides ongoing hosting, maintenance and support, which includes database backups, system upgrades, security patches and technical support, as well as feature enhancements as they are developed. Custom on- or off-site installation packages are also available for organizations who prefer to maintain their own hosting.

About Switchback

Based in Ann Arbor, MI, Switchback (http://www.switchbackcms.com) gives small- to medium-sized organizations real control over their web-based information. Starting with popular, open-source platforms, such as Drupal and CiviCRM, The company builds robust, highly-usable, and full-featured systems that provide our clients with complete management of their web content and contact relationships. We place great emphasis on usability, ensuring that once in place, our systems can be managed by anyone regardless of their experience. ###