Either you test, or your members will
If I was forced to choose the single most important activity during a system implementation, I would choose testing. The point of testing is to ensure the system does what you expect it to do in normal, day-to-day use. Can you process and renew members? Can members and customers register for an event? Can you manage committee membership? And so on.
As I always tell my clients, either you (the staff) will do testing before go-live, or your members and customers will do it after go-live (i.e., as soon as they start trying to interact with you either via your website or directly via phone or mail).
Most off-the-shelf systems already "work," in that they do the things they promise (e.g., dues renewal, event registration, etc.). But they need to be configured to your association's business rules, and that's where the testing becomes critical.
And of course, even after go-live, if you add new functionality, that needs to be tested.
So ask yourself: Who's doing the testing in your organization? The staff, or your members?
Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives
Start with “Why” before you move to “How”
Start with “Why” before you move to “How” Something I’ve noticed over my years in …
The power of users groups!
The power of users groups! Last week I had the honor and pleasure of speaking …
Associations are complex businesses!
Associations are complex businesses! One of the reasons managing data at an association can be so …
Snapshots are required
Snapshots are required Recently a couple of different clients have asked me why it’s necessary …
“It’s in the database…”
“It’s in the database…” I often joke with my clients that AMS nirvana looks like …
Using the Pomodoro Technique for data management
Using the Pomodoro Technique for data management I’m a huge fan of the Pomodoro Technique, …
Using the Pomodoro Technique for data management Read More »
You need a PLAN to deal with duplicates
You need a PLAN to deal with duplicates Here’s the thing about duplicate records: No …
Asking for more is a good sign…
Asking for more is a good sign… A client who had recently implemented a new …
Take action…
Take action… “The greatest wisdom not applied to action and behavior is meaningless data.” – …
The Rule of 100 and 1,000 revisited
The Rule of 100 and 1,000 revisited I’m finding that the “Rule of 100 and …