One of the most common requests I hear from my clients is the ability to compare year-over-year statistics on things such as membership counts (e.g., how many associate members did we have last year on January 1, versus this year?). Year-over-year comparisons can be very useful. But one of the challenges that a dynamic database presents …
Managing data is difficult. It takes time. It can be tedious. And it’s a never-ending task. So it’s very important to be sure we’re not making the management of data even more difficult by virtue of the business rules we have constructed. For example, I worked with one association who had such convoluted business rules …
A client of mine located in Ashburn VA is seeking a director of education. This is a small (3 FTE) medical association with a great work environment. You can learn more about the position by clicking here.
The results from SCIPP International’s recent survey of association’s data breach preparedness are now available on SCIPP’s website by clicking here. In my review of the results, the most disturbing item is that only 1/3 of associations surveyed actually have a data breach response plan. Given that a data breach is not a matter of …
Survey results from SCIPP's Data Breach Preparedness Survey Now Available Read More »
One of the more common lamentations I hear from my association clients is that associations need to manage their database and website more like a for-profit business. This is often characterized as: “We should be more like Amazon!” Setting aside the issue of Amazon’s budget (in the billions) and profitability (very often not at all!) …
I received an email from a software company whose software I use. The software vendor asked “Can we share your story” and went on to explain that they have hired a writer to write about the successes of some of their clients. So far, so good. Then the email goes on to say: “…if you …
Don't ask me to volunteer if you're not going to use me Read More »
I’ve always loved the phrase “low-hanging fruit.” It creates such a great visual in my mind, the idea that I can easily get what I want by just reaching up and grabbing it. The idea, of course, is that when starting off a new project, look for some simple “wins” that will propel the project …
One of the most common services I provide my clients is system selection and implementation. Simply put, I help my clients select software and then help them get that software up and running. With projects like these, there is a clearly defined end-goal: choosing software and then putting it into use. It’s easy to say …
As I noted in this post last month, one of the most common complaints I hear from my clients is a lack of training. Most AMS systems are complex, and training is a necessity to use the system most effectively. Most AMS implementations will include training as a budget line item. But that’s specifically for go-live …
Which dropdown menu am I referring to? Any of them. The paradox of choice is that the more choices we are given, the less likely we are to decide. When your customer is presented with a dropdown menu that has dozens of choices, she is unlikely to scan through all the choices available and will …
If your dropdown menu has more than seven choices, it's useless Read More »