Don’t just clean data, clean reports and queries

Don't just clean data, clean reports and queries

One of the reasons I exhort my clients to keep their data as clean as possible is because, over time, "dirty" data causes users to doubt the accuracy of all the data in the system. And when users doubt the data, they'll start using their own systems to manage data, and your data will get worse over time (I call this the cycle of doom.)

Another contributor to this cycle of doom is outdated queries and reports.

In my experience, almost all of my clients are in the habit of creating new queries and reports, but not cleaning out the old ones. Over time that creates a lot of queries and reports that staff has to wade through. (A client recently told me they have over 400 reports and queries in their current system!) And if the reports are out of date or inaccurate, they can also lead to staff doubting the data.

So my recommendation is simple: On a periodic basis (at least twice a year), review all of your saved queries and reports, and get rid of the ones that are no longer used or no longer accurate.

Bonus tip: if you can't decide if a report or query is being used or not, hide it (i.e., don't delete it but make it invisible to users). If no one asks "Where is that report?" you'll know it's no longer in use!

Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives

“Many mickles make a muckle.”

November 30, 2022

“Many mickles make a muckle.” “Many mickles make a muckle.” – George Washington Apparently, this […]

It’s easy to collect; it’s harder to manage

November 16, 2022

It’s easy to collect; it’s harder to manage The beauty of today’s highly configurable AMS […]

Tell them why you want the data

November 9, 2022

Tell them why you want the data Because data is so easy to collect these […]

Don’t get hung up on something minor

November 2, 2022

Don’t get hung up on something minor I’m a problem solver. I love to solve […]

Be flexible, especially for unusual requests

October 26, 2022

Be flexible, especially for unusual requests One of the great benefits of off-the-shelf association management software (AMS) […]

“Her eyes were bigger than her stomach.”

October 19, 2022

“Her eyes were bigger than her stomach.” When I was a child, my siblings used […]

Once you buy crap…

October 12, 2022

Once you buy crap… “When you buy something cheap and bad, the best you’re going […]

It could always be worse

October 5, 2022

It could always be worse Because most of us don’t have the benefit (like I […]

It’s all about managing expectations

September 28, 2022

It’s all about managing expectations I placed an order online on a Friday and the […]

Experience is the best teacher

September 21, 2022

Experience is the best teacher Experience is the best teacher. Every one of us has […]

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top