We are excited to be introducing a new membership system. This new system will go live on 3 October 2023 bringing increased efficiencies and value to your membership.
As part of the transfer to our new system we will be introducing a data freeze period from 13 September 2023 until 4 October 2023.
Here we answer some questions you might have.
What is happening?
The launch of our new membership CRM system (customer relationship management), which holds all of the important information we have about you, is now very close! It’s been all hands on deck at the BDA office, with lots of training and testing taking place so we make sure we get things right.
We are very grateful for your patience and understanding during this transitional period, as we make sure everything goes smoothly. Very little will change for you initially, however, behind the scenes, the many important processes that keep the BDA moving will be much improved. Once live and kicking though, our new systems will enhance your membership experience.
How will I be able to let the BDA know about changes to my membership details – change my employer, email address, address, telephone number?
During this period you will be able to view your membership details as usual through MyBDA but it will not be possible to make any changes to your membership yourself.
For example, you will not be able to:
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Amend any payment details, change your payment method or frequency of payment
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Amend any of your membership details yourself e.g. change of address, employer, telephone number
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Change membership categories
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Join / leave a specialist group or branch
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Update your Freelance or SENR Directory profile
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Renewals will be dealt with directly with those that this affects
If you wish to make any urgent changes (in particular your email address) during this period please contact us directly and we will be happy to process any changes on your behalf. You can do this by emailing [email protected] or calling our membership team on 0121 200 8080.
For non-urgent changes please wait to update your details yourself after 4 October.
How can I join / leave a specialist group or branch?
We will be unable to process any group changes during this period so please wait until 4 October and you'll have the opportunity to do this yourself through the website.
Please email [email protected] or call our membership team on 0121 200 8080 if you have any queries about this.
What should I do if I need to change my category or if I have a change in circumstance?
To help ease the pressures on our membership team during this time please wait until 4 October and you'll have the opportunity to make amends to your membership yourself through the website.
Alternatively you can email [email protected] or call our membership team on 0121 200 8080 and the team will be able to process this for you.
How will I know you have received my request to change my membership details?
We'll update you when your details are updated on or after 4 October.
Will I be able to change my payment method and frequency?
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to do this during the data freeze period. If you have an urgent query regarding a payment, please email [email protected] or call our accounts team on 01634 840066 for further advice.
Will this affect any other queries I have such as professional indemnity insurance?
Not at all- you can contact us at any time about your professional indemnity insurance by emailing [email protected] or calling our membership team on 0121 200 8080 and the team will be able to assist you.
You can still download your certificate of insurance during this time here.
Will I still be able to access all my other membership benefits such as trade union advice, BDA Legal?
You will be able to call 0121 200 8080 to speak with the relevant teams and get the support you need.
Some membership benefits will be affected by this freeze however:
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The BDA Shop will not be accessible
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Group and branch discussion forums and announcements will be paused
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And, if a colleague is looking to join as a new member they won't be able to until 4 October.
Bookings for events, courses, webinars and study days will remain open during this time.
Is there anything I need to do if I don’t have any changes to make to my membership data during this time?
There is nothing you need to do, however after the 4 October we will be asking you to log in to MyBDA and check all the details we have for you are up to date. There will be increased functionality to allow you to update preferences and check what information we hold for you. You'll then be able to update it.
Can I still access the BDA website?
Yes - the website including access to all your member benefits will still be available.
Can I still purchase items on the BDA Shop?
The online shop will temporarily be unavailable for new purchases until after 4 October - any access to existing e-resources, such as specialist group study day recordings, will remain available.
Can I still book onto events on the event calendar?
Yes, you can still book onto events that are on the calendar either as an existing member, or as a new user of the website.
Can I still use the group and branch discussion forums?
Access to group and branch discussion forums will be temporarily frozen for all members - this is so that any discussions started or commented on during the data freeze are not lost. Existing discussions and replies will be available after 4 October.