As we all know, a sunk cost is a cost that has already been incurred and cannot be recovered. A good example of a sunk cost is the purchase of a new AMS to replace an old system. Once you’ve purchased a new AMS, there’s no going back. The money is spent. The cost is sunk. The […]
The fallacy of "sunk cost" Read More »
A test database is a more-or-less exact copy of your live/production database environment. I often refer to this as a “sandbox” because the test database is a place where you and your staff can go to play, just like a sandbox. The three primary uses of a test database are for testing, training, and documentation. All three of these are
Do you have a test database? Read More »
Working with a client last week on their selection of a new AMS, I was again reminded of how important it has become for associations to be able to track in their AMS not only transactions (e.g., membership joins and renewals, event registration, product sales, etc.), but interactions with members and customers (e.g., tracking phone
Interactions, not just transactions Read More »
I once heard of an association who had worked with a consultant on selecting a new AMS. The consultant had the association staff sit through a week’s worth of demos from 10 different vendors. TEN vendors! That’s malpractice. There are never going to be ten different vendors that your association would have to so seriously consider
If you're sending more than five RFPs, you're doing it wrong. Read More »
One of the challenges that I see with many associations is knowing exactly where a given data point is housed within the association. For example, if someone asks “Where do we keep data on who our exhibitors are for the upcoming show?” can everyone in the association answer that question? Too often, the answer is ‘no.’ To
Where is that data? Read More »
I first heard this from Thomas Sowell many years ago. And I’ve written about it here and here and here. But it’s so important that it bears repeating, time and time again. When it comes to data management, and especially data management software, there are no perfect solutions, only trade-offs. The software might be really good, but it’s
"There are no solutions, only trade-offs" Read More »
In my 2015 Data Management Benchmarking Survey, I asked associations: “Do you have a formal data management team?” Only 22% replied yes. This number needs to increase dramatically if associations are really going to take advantage of the data that they are managing. The simple fact is that the amount of data you manage is only
Associations need to formalize and operationalize data management Read More »
I’m often asked by my clients, as they seek a new AMS, should they be looking at hosted options? Or more to the point, should they bother looking at premise-based solutions anymore? My answer is: For the vast majority of associations, a hosted solution will work fine and is actually preferable to premise-based. (Please keep
To host or not to host? That is the question. Read More »
One of the great things about the latest generation of AMS products is their incredible flexibility. They’ll allow you to track almost any piece of data you can imagine. And they’ll let you display that data on your website in almost any way imaginable. But as I always tell my clients, just because the software
Just because you can doesn't mean you should Read More »
In the past week, on behalf of a client, I’ve had to contact three different software vendors. In all three cases, I used their online form (“contact us”) and provided my contact information, along with information about what my client was seeking (i.e., I have a buyer who would like to talk to you). In all
How do you respond when someone contacts you via your website? Read More »