In 2008, INCOSE UK approached Dot-the-Eye and asked if we would submit a proposal for running their Secretariat. Their Secretariat services had been run for the previous 12 years by an administrator who was now looking to retire. Over those years the society had grown from under a hundred members to just over 300.
The INCOSE UK Council asked if we would be happy to adopt a phased handover and we agreed several initial priorities to relieve the administrative burden, which included;
- Moving the society membership application process from paper to electronic, with the option to pay online.
- Creating an online membership renewal process
- Rebranding the Society to give it an updated look and feel
- Building a relationship with their parent organisation, INCOSE, based in the United States.
To implement these essential changes, we first had to design and develop a new database driven website for INCOSE UK which included membership data and would underpin this and future society activity. Experience has taught us that this integrated approach is key to success and growth in small to medium sized membership societies.
Today, all membership applications are completed online, with payment either being taken online or by individuals setting up a Direct Debit mandate.
Members have a dashboard on the website, which not only shows their membership history but have information about the working groups they are involved in, their professional status and access to CPD systems.
Individual Membership is now over 1000 and still growing.
Ivan Mactaggart, INCOSE UK President from 2016 to 2018 said:
Over the last few years we have seen our membership numbers grow at an exponential rate and we now stand alone by some margin as the largest Chapter in the INCOSE global family. This growth could not have taken place without the support of you and the dedication of your team. I have no doubt DTE can add value to other small, developing societies and I would have no hesitation in recommending you and DTE as an excellent source for sound Society Management.
Our initial strategy to focus on a key area of society administration whilst providing the infrastructure for growth, has led to us now running a full Secretariat service for INCOSE UK and developing them as a principal partner in our business.
Sustained success in the area of Membership Services has led, over a period of 12 years to expansion and diversification into other specialist areas such as IT and web development, Business and Finance, Corporate Membership development, Professional Development, Marketing and Communications and Event management.