Choose customer functionality over staff functionality. Because our websites (customer-facing) and databases (staff-facing) are now intertwined and completely integrated, we may come upon situations where database design requires us to choose between making use of the system easier for the customer or making it easier for the staff. In 99% of the cases, you should choose customer over […]
If you have to choose… Read More »
On occasion when working with a client during the selection of a new AMS, my client will say something like this: “My board is very supportive of our project, but several board members have asked a question along the lines of ‘What benefit will we get from this new system?’” And while the benefits of
What are the most common benefits from implementing a new AMS? Read More »
One of my favorite aphorisms in data management is “There are those who backup, and those who will.” Once you’ve had one catastrophe with a missing or corrupt backup, you’ll never forget about backing up again. Or will you? More and more, data systems are being hosted by third-party vendors. And part of that service
Are your vendors backing up your data? Read More »
I’ve written about this before, but it bears repeating. Before you can go to advanced work like marketing segmentation and “big data,” you have to be able to manage the fundamentals. And what are the fundamentals? Things like: proper procedures and documentation in place for managing your data data integrity reports to ensure you have clean data
Focus on the fundamentals Read More »
I recently moderated a keynote presentation at ACGI’s Knowledge Days in Baltimore. The session, entitled “How to Keep a Healthy Marriage with Your Technology Vendor,” covered the five elements that I believe constitute a good marriage, and will serve you well in relationships with your technology vendors. Those five elements are: You have the other party’s best
The Five Elements of Healthy Vendor Relationship (plus a bonus!) Read More »
Many years ago I coined the Rule of 100 and 1,000, as it pertains to data conversions. (Click here to read about it.) As it happens, a similar rule applies to ongoing data management. In a nutshell, if you’re managing under 100 records (e.g., small trade association with few members), you may not need to automate
Rule of 100 and 1000 for ongoing data management Read More »
One of the more common requests I hear from my clients is that they’d like to be able to compare year-to-year membership data (e.g., current number of members vs. same time last year or same time three years ago). What they often find, however, is that pulling historical data from their primary transactional database can be
Take snapshots of your membership data for historical review Read More »
I often hear from my clients something along these lines: “We’d like that data but we don’t have it.” I always respond with “Do you not have it because you’ve never collected it, or because you have no way to collect it and store it?” In other words, are you NOT doing something because you
Distinguish between "can't" and "don't" Read More »
On a range of database management issues. You can read it all here: http://bit.ly/1sMrmN0
My interview with Aptify Read More »
I once met with a potential client who was seeking a new database. In a conversation with the executive director, she explained to me that she wanted a database that would collect all types of data about her members, including information about calls with her members. When I suggested that there was software that would do this and that
Sometimes it's really NOT the software that is the problem Read More »