Add one, remove one
In the world of home-organizing, there's the "one in, one out" rule. Simply put, for every new item that enters your home, one similar item must leave, helping to maintain a constant level of possessions and prevent clutter accumulation.
This would be a great rule for database managers when considering adding new fields of data to collect!
If staff wants to add a new field to collect a new data point, the first question is "Which data point/field are we going to remove?"
I'm only half-joking. Too often I see my clients adding new fields of data to collect while simultaneously not keeping up with the other data points they are supposed to be already collecting.
So when you think about adding a new field, ask yourself: "Are there other data fields we could remove while we're adding this new one?"
Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives
How to save a “failing” project
How to save a “failing” project It is not unusual for me to receive a […]
How to avoid the “IT black hole”
How to avoid the “IT black hole” Going all the way back to my days […]
The “People” are important!
The “People” are important! I’ve written a lot about people, process, and technology over the […]
Always look for the MVP
Always look for the MVP I first wrote about minimum viable product (MVP) just three […]
The longer you take, the longer it will take
The longer you take, the longer it will take It may sound like a tautology, […]
Data is for action
Data is for action When deciding whether or not to collect a piece of data, […]
Have you shopped yourself?
Have you shopped yourself? I’ve always been fascinated by the “secret shopper” concept. (Maybe it’s […]
To improve adoption, decrease the friction
To improve adoption, decrease the friction “Before you try to increase your willpower, try to […]
“Is this normal?”
“Is this normal?” ne of the greatest parts about my job is that I get […]
Give your staff more freedom, not less
Give your staff more freedom, not less I often tell my clients, when it comes […]