Be careful about getting tangled

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:

  1. The use of the word "tangle." It's very descriptive of what many AMSes look like after years of use.
  2. 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 They become tangled for many reasons including neglect, staff turnover, outdated/ineffective business rules, and lack of documentation.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

Don’t forget Parkinson’s Law

November 10, 2021

Don’t forget Parkinson’s Law “Work expands so as to fill the time available for its […]

Just Respond

November 3, 2021

Just Respond Growing up my father used to tell my many siblings and me that […]

People fear uncertainty, not change

October 27, 2021

People fear uncertainty, not change If you’ve ever worked on any big project that was […]

“Working with you is like going to therapy.”

October 20, 2021

“Working with you is like going to therapy.” I was working with a client last […]

The best ideas are stolen

October 13, 2021

The best ideas are stolen I don’t remember where I first heard it, but someone said […]

It’s all about expectations

October 7, 2021

It’s all about expectations One of the most critical contributors to the success of a […]

Either you test, or your members will

September 29, 2021

Either you test, or your members will If I was forced to choose the single […]

But are you really willing to change?

September 22, 2021

But are you really willing to change? When any organization is making a change in data management […]

Two tips for data conversion

September 15, 2021

Two Tips for Data Conversion I’ve written a lot about data conversion over the years […]

Who should “own” the database?

September 8, 2021

Who should “own” the database? One of the most common questions I get from my […]

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top