Don’t be a hoarder!

Don't be a hoarder!

The simple truth is that it's almost "free" to collect data. Or at least that's how it seems.

Set up a field in the database, send out an email and ask for the data, and voila, you're collecting new data.

The problem is that, in many (most?) cases, the data that we start out to collect doesn't get maintained over time, even with the best of intentions. And so, over time, we become data hoarders, keeping data that we really don't need.

I would guess that almost every one of my clients (now several hundred over 25 years) has one or more data points in their AMS that are no longer being used, or if they are being used, haven't been updated in many years. I'd bet the same is true for your organization.

When is the last time you looked at your database and cleaned out what you're no longer using? Is it time to do it again?

Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives

Data Accretes

July 1, 2020

Data Accretes One of my very first jobs in the association world was managing the production […]

Don’t be so lazy…

June 24, 2020

Don’t be so lazy… One of the things that attracted me to the software world […]

Don’t try to do everything at go-live

June 17, 2020

Don’t Try to do Everything at Go-live When implementing a new AMS, there is a […]

Make sure your system has broad support

June 10, 2020

Make sure your system has broad support An AMS vendor pointed out to me recently […]

You have to have the right people in place

June 10, 2020

You have to have the right people in place This may seem obvious, but I’ll […]

Ask “What” not “Why”

June 3, 2020

Ask “What” not “Why” As a consultant, one of my favorite questions to ask my […]

Engagement is measured by the customer

May 27, 2020

Engagement is Measured by the Customer I’ve written a bunch about measuring engagement in the past. (Click […]

Yes, you do have a process for that

May 13, 2020

Yes, you do have a process for that When I work with clients on pretty […]

“Correct your mistakes before they become your habits”

May 6, 2020

“Correct your mistakes before they become your habits” Yet another great quote from James Clear: “Correct […]

Sometimes it’s a process issue

April 29, 2020

Sometimes it’s a process issue When I work with clients on developing a needs list […]

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