Data Management

A new article has been posted to my website. I’ve written in the past about why associations should avoid creating their own customized association management software (you can read that here and here). But a recent experience with one of my clients has reinforced my opinion on this. Read all about it by clicking here. Of […]

A new article has been posted to my website. For many associations, making the change to a new database is not only expensive and time-consuming, but it also decreases productivity for an extended period of time. But shouldn’t a new database improve productivity? Yes, it should. But frequently, when an association makes this move, productivity actually falls,

My client and colleague Dave Martin of the Electronic Retailing Association has just launched a new blog called the Dirty Martini. Click here to view it. I’ve added Dave’s blog to my RSS feed, because he has some really smart things to say about marketing in associations. And this post on “dirty data” is a great one

Yes, that’s harsh, but more and more it’s true. I’ve written before about how associations should not be in the business of developing software. (Click here to read that.) I’ve also written before about how there are very affordable AMS products on the market that obviate the need for homegrown association management systems. (Click here

At many of my recent talks, I’ve been discussing the importance of tracking and managing volunteers. Volunteerism is THE distinguishing factor between for-profits and non-profits. After all, no one volunteers to work at Best Buy, but many people volunteer for your organization. So you need to know what your volunteer channels are (e.g., writing, speaking,

And that’s why there are so many association management system (AMS) options available. Quite often I’m asked by potential clients “Isn’t there just a ‘best’ AMS product that you can point me to?” I usually respond, “If there were, I’d have already bought the company that makes it.” There is no single “correct” answer to

I’m pleased to announce that I’ve entered into a partnership with the Florida Society of Association Executives (FSAE) to offer FSAE members a major discount on my RFP Shell and basic remote consulting. With this package, FSAE members only will receive EDM’s “Basic Remote Consulting” package ($500 value) and EDM’s time-tested RFP Shell ($495 value)

UPDATE: Title of blog post fixed A new article has been posted to my website. Decreased online registrations. High levels of customer complaints. Increasing training expenses. All warning signs that led one of my clients to conclude that their registration process was crying out for simplification. Are your processes too complicated? It may be that

A new article has been posted to my website. When issues are raised during a project, there are three challenges faced by the project managers: capturing the issues, acting on the issues, and reporting back to staff about the issues. That last point is critical; one of the most frequent complaints I hear from staff

Would you fly in an airplane that had never been tested? Of course not. Yet every day, associations are using their production/live databases for testing new processes, which is just like testing a new airplane with a full load of passengers. As I write in my book Put Your Data to Work: 52 Tips and