I often tell my clients to avoid managing (or programming) to the exception. What I mean is too often when one or two members or customers complain about how we do something, we assume that we should accomodate their complaints and change our processes (or worse yet, reprogram the database to manage it). It's quite […]
Managing to the Exception Read More »
Recently I began receiving emails from a political advocacy organization that has views that are, shall we say, completely counter to mine. I suspect one of my "funny" friends may have signed me up. That's all well and good, except that the emails don't provide any opt-out information. There is a link to their "privacy
Are you providing opt-out information? Read More »
Many associations struggle with the relationship they have with their software vendor. There are many reasons for this, but a primary one is expectations. Too often, associations expect immediate response from their vendors, and perhaps more importantly, they expect immediate resolution to their problems. Rob Gates of SHRM recently posted the following note to the TMA
Working with your vendor Read More »
A client of mine sent me a note last week pointing out that L-Soft, the makers of Listserv software, has voluntarily entered bankruptcy (Chapter 11) in order to deal with a long-term legal battle they've been having. You can read all about it here. For those of you using L-Soft products, I don't think you
L-Soft Voluntarily Enters Bankruptcy Read More »
The key to successful data management is not choosing the right AMS (though obviously that's critical) but rather how you use the AMS once you have it. My clients who are most successful are those that actively manage their database, rather than just allowing it to be used as a giant electronic card file. So
Active vs. Passive Data Management Read More »
I’m often asked this question (or a variant of it) by my clients and others. “Well shouldn’t every association management system have [fill in the blank] functionality?” The answer is, “Well, maybe.” I’ve pondered this question for several years, actually, and I’ve finally decided there are only four basic functions any product that calls itself
What baseline functionality should an AMS have? Read More »
Frank Sarlo from PDA recently posted the following to the ASAE technology listserver: "Our Programs and Meetings Department is researching online conference registration systems that are separate from our AMS system. Their current choice is Cvent. What are your thoughts about this separation of systems? Can the advantages gained outweigh the additional systems integration and
One System or Multiple Systems? Read More »
There’s an old saying: “There are those that back up, and those that will.” And as I mention here, it’s critically important to back up your data. I learned the lesson the hard way, many years ago, when I deleted all the data from a database I had been working on for two days. Ever
Do as I Say, Not as I Do Read More »
There was a thread on the ASAE technology listserver a few weeks back about whether an association should choose an AMS based on .net or PHP or something else. There was some interesting responses, but one of the best was from Bob Nedbal, Director of IT and Web Services, at the American Educational Research Association.
.net vs. PHP and Technology Architecture Read More »
It was 20 years ago this June that I took a summer job at my college alumni association. I had no idea I would some day be in the association management business, but there I was, doing “data entry” for an association. And what did data entry entail, exactly? Well, it was three other guys
Data Entry, Then and Now Read More »