If you read my work, you know that I have a strong bias for off-the-shelf (OTS) software for managing an association. I’ve written extensively about why that is, but one the most important reasons for using OTS software is that the software is supported by a company rather than a single person. Over the years […]
Does your technology have a single point of failure? Read More »
I’ve written a LOT about business rules over the years. The reason I do is because business rules are generally one of the few things we actually have some control over. Generally speaking, outside of rules mandated by bylaws, staff has full control over business rules within the organization. We get to set pricing, how we
Are your business rules hurting your business? Read More »
A recent episode of the Freakonomics Podcast was entitled “In Praise of Maintenance,” and asked the question: “Has our culture’s obsession with innovation led us to neglect the fact that things also need to be taken care of?” As usual for Freakonomics, it was an excellent discussion, and it got me to thinking: When it
Database Maintenance: The Unsung Hero Read More »
In my experience, when associations make a database system change, staff will sometimes talk about how the old system used to work. They’ll say things like “In the old system, we could add a new individual record in two minutes; now it takes five.” Or “In the old system it was really easy to pull a list of
"Our old system used to…" Read More »
I’ve written elsewhere that 80% is Good Enough when it comes to selecting a new AMS. That is, if you can get 80% of your functional needs met while still staying within your budget, you’re in very good shape. The same rule applies when matching data on exports during a data conversion. If you can
80% is good enough – data edition Read More »
Long ago, I was a membership director in a couple of different trade associations. And as any membership professional knows, the most difficult members to retain are first-year members, those who have joined in just the past year. The reasons should be obvious. Unless you have several programs designed especially for first-year members, most first-year members
Use your data to communicate with first-year members differently Read More »
When my clients implement a new AMS, the implementation plan always includes training for staff, so that they know how to use the new system. But I always advise my clients to budget for additional training after go-live. Why? Because the reality is, no matter how good the initial training is (and often it is not
Be sure to schedule training for shortly AFTER go-live. Read More »
So very often in my meetings with clients, there will be discussions around the different data points the organization is collecting. For example, someone will ask “What about areas of interest? Shouldn’t we be collecting those?” My response to questions like this is always the same: “Yes, you should collect it, IF you are going to use it,
The data is only good if you use it and manage it Read More »
An event is something that occurs once. A process is something you do continually, over time. It’s that simple. Data management doesn’t happen once, it happens continuously. You have a choice as to whether data management happens proactively or reactively. In other words, are you doing something about the data, or are you just letting
Data management is a process, not an event Read More »
I once met with an association to discuss their data management issues. They were explaining to me that the systems they had in place made it extremely difficult to pull together information in a timely and efficient way. For example, in order to get a look at “total spend” from their members, they had to look in
Are you "enabling" your board? Read More »