New Chartered IIA website FAQs for members
Why is the Institute creating a new website, and why now?
The Chartered IIA’s website has not been updated for many years. It’s not mobile friendly and it doesn’t enable members or other professionals to join online or book onto training courses and events with ease. In short, it is a long way behind where most people would expect a website to be in terms of some of its functionality and much of its overall user experience. The timing of this update relates in the main to the right resources and budget finally being in place, but with an eye on the updated Global Standards due to be in place from January 2025, and with the opportunity to link it to the roll-out of our new branding.
What is a CRM and why are you putting a new one in place - didn’t you have one already?
A CRM is a Customer Relationship Management system. Currently the Chartered IIA has a fairly basic system which allows us to keep secure records of members’ details, and to contact members via their preferred method of communication. However, the system is quite a manual one where Chartered IIA resources are concerned, and it doesn’t allow for a more individualised approach to managing our members’ needs.
Later this Autumn we will therefore be implementing an upgraded CRM system called Dynamics, which is a Microsoft platform and product. It will make it easier, quicker and more intuitive for members to register and pay for events, renew or change their membership, access online content that they are most interested in, and to actively manage their own contact details and communication preferences. Importantly, it will also mean that we can provide a much more tailored, individualised service to our members.
In what way will the new website look different to the current one?
The new website will look dynamic and colourful, and with the full screen width being used and with the web pages automatically re-sizing for those accessing it via a tablet or mobile phone. Most importantly, though, it will look, feel and be cleaner, simpler and much easier to use and navigate. The homepage will have six main top-level menu navigation options to choose from, rather than the current 11, along with an easy to access members’ login area, some helpful ‘quick links’ and an easy-to-use search bar. Individual web pages will use black text on white space for ease of reading.
What are the benefits for members of the Institute having a new website and CRM?
In short, both will make the user experience far far better, allowing members to navigate the website with ease and find the content they are looking for; to register and pay for events and products there on the web page (without being taken to a 3rd-party platform’s website to do so), and to be provided with content suggestions and communications that are tailored to the individual’s needs and preferences.
How will the new website and CRM impact the way members engage with the Institute?
Members will feel that they have more control over the way that they communicate and engage with their professional institute. They will find it much easier to see what’s going in terms of upcoming webinars, conferences, new technical content, surveys, training courses etc. They will be able to login easily and quickly to their own individual pages and to access and edit their own details and preferences, and to see records of any previous training and events they have attended, their membership type etc. They will also have quick access to presentations from recent events along with suggestions for new articles or blogs that may be of interest to them. Members will also receive more tailored and individualised emails from their Institute (depending on their communication preferences).
Why did you decide to refresh the brand, and why now?
We’re updating our visual identity for a number of reasons. It’s a way to stay competitive and ensure our brand is easily recognised and remembered by all our stakeholders. It will more accurately represent who we are - and what the profession is - today, and where we’re collectively headed. It represents our commitment to innovation and growth and will enable us to align with the external context and changes our organisation and members are experiencing. While our core values remain the same, the new brand also reflects our evolving services, our members’ changing needs, and the dynamic nature of our organisation.
What changes can I expect to see with the new brand?
The Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors name will stay the same, but you’ll notice a new, more clearly defined and easily recognisable logo, an updated colour and overall design scheme, and a modernised look and feel across all our platforms. These changes are designed to improve your experience with us, and help project a more confident and dynamic organisation to all our stakeholders.
Will the brand refresh affect the services you offer?
No, our core services will remain the same. In fact, we’re working on introducing new features and improvements, which the updated brand will help to highlight and explain.
Were members involved in the brand refresh?
Yes, we conducted extensive research with our members as part of the brand refresh process. Their input was invaluable in shaping our new brand identity.
What was the feedback from members about the existing brand?
The feedback from members made it clear that the existing brand felt tired, uninspiring and in need of an update, particularly if the Chartered IIA is to successfully position itself as being modern, dynamic and engaged, and ready to promote and represent members and the profession with impact.
How will the brand refresh impact the organisation’s mission and values?
While our visual identity has changed, and our messaging has been honed, our mission and values remain the same. The brand refresh represents our commitment to those values and our ongoing aim to be the voice of the Internal Audit profession.
When will we see the new branding being rolled-out?
The new branding will be launched digitally as part of our new website launch in the Autumn. We will then slowly replace our existing branding across all our channels, materials and collateral over the coming months and year on an iterative basis.
Anything else members should be aware of?
We will be using the official shortened name for the institute of ‘Chartered IIA’ (and no long be referring to the ‘CIIA’ or ‘IIA’ in writing or person). The aim here is to remove confusion with Global IIA and also to emphasise our chartered status.
Who can we contact for more information or if we have questions?
For more information or if you have questions, members should reach out to membership@iia.org.uk.
