There are many church management software solutions on the market today, and churches who are looking for a solution seem to focus on what information they can store in a particular software.  While this is definitely important, I believe they are overlooking the most important feature of a church management software solution.

Church management software (ChMS) is a tool that helps you administer the church operations more efficiently and ultimately minister to people more effectively.  So, what does that look like?  Well, usually it involves asking questions like “who were our first time visitors last week?” or “Who has completed our leadership class, that is not yet leading a small group?”  or “Show me anyone who’s church involvement is dropping off.”

Questions like that are answered by Reporting.

It’s not enough for a ChMS to have built-in reports.  The number of different questions a church administrator or pastor could ask are enumerable, therefore your ChMS must be able to generate custom reports based on all possible data available.  Having a few pre-configured reporting options is not enough.  Every church is unique, called to different types of ministry in different ways, so the ChMS must be able to create brand new reports with any combination of input parameters and output information.

One quick example from one of our customers – They were needing funding for a new building project.  The Excellerate report designer was so powerful that it was able to generate a  specific report for the bankers who said “this is the most comprehensive report we’ve seen!”  And yes, that report made it very easy for the church to get the funds to complete their project!

Now, it’s great to have a powerful reporting tool, but to be honest, reporting can be a tricky thing.  You really have to think about the question you are asking and all of the possible edge-cases.  Some people who are detail-oriented, can be good at creating reports, where others may struggle.  That’s why it is so important to be able to call up your ChMS provider, explain what you need, and have them create it for you.  With Excellerate Church Management Software, you can do just that.  We are more than glad to help you get the exact report you need, and that service is included in your standard support plan!

So make sure you really research a ChMS provider’s reporting capabilities and their offerings to help you get the exact reports you will need now, and in the future!