Be careful about getting tangled
“We had done a lot to tangle ourselves up.” - Bridget Walsh, Chief Operating Officer at Emergency Nurses Association
In a discussion at AMS Fest this week, this is how Bridget Walsh characterized what their AMS of 17+ years looked like as they worked to move from their legacy system to a new one.
I love this quote for two reasons:
- The use of the word "tangle." It's very descriptive of what many AMSes look like after years of use.
- The ownership of the entanglement ("We had done a lot..."). Data management systems don't just tangle themselves. They become tangled for many reasons including neglect, staff turnover, outdated/ineffective business rules, and lack of documentation.
Seventeen years in one system is a very good run, so ENA should be proud of that. But I appreciated Bridget's acknowledgment of ENA's need to "untangle" where they were as they moved to a new system.
So what are you doing to make sure your AMS doesn't get too tangled up?
Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives
How you respond matters
How you respond matters Very recently I wrote that I measure customer service by how […]
Your one non-renewable resource
Your one non-renewable resource For any project, the three primary resources are time, money, and […]
No system is perfect
No system is perfect When working with my clients on the selection of a new […]
Ask your members to update their info
Ask your members to update their info One of the greatest data management challenges any association […]
Customer vs. staff
Customer vs. staff In a properly designed AMS, when the customer goes online to your […]
Measuring customer service
Measuring customer service When I work with clients on AMS selection, one question that often […]
Iterate or innovate?
Iterate or innovate? When moving to a new association management system, there is often an implicit […]
Who is in control?
Who is in control? Speaking with a client once about their database project, the client […]
Sometimes Staff Has to do the Work
Sometimes staff has to do the work… As a child, I was attracted to computers […]
Documentation and the Great Resignation
Documentation and the Great Resignation Unless you’ve been living under the proverbial rock, you’ve heard […]