First, you gotta have the data
When I work with clients on a new AMS selection and we're discussing what they want to be able to do with a new system, it's very common to hear something like: "We want to be able to report on a range of demographics about our members." Early on in my consulting career I would typically respond with "Well, that shouldn't be a problem with the right technology."
But what I soon learned is that often the client wasn't saying "We need better technology," they were saying "We don't have that data yet." So now I'm smart enough to respond with "Is the problem that you don't have the data, or that you can't get it out of the system?"
I know it's stating the obvious, but if you want to report on some data or another, the first step is that you have to have the data in order to report on it.
And good technology will allow you to collect and report on that data. But you have to first have processes in place to collect the data.
And before you put those processes in place, you have to know what data you're going to collect, and you have to know how and where you're going to collect it.
And of course, never collect meaningless data.
Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives
Budget for feature discovery and adoption
Budget for feature discovery and adoption When developing a budget for implementation of a new …
Customize staff pages for better user adoption
Customize staff pages for better user adoption The single most important element to data management …
Don’t ask questions for which you already know the answer
Don’t ask questions for which you already know the answer I was recently completing an …
Don’t ask questions for which you already know the answer Read More »
All decisions involve risk
All decisions involve risk Whether it’s choosing a new AMS or introducing a new product …
Try flowcharting your processes
Try flowcharting your processes Working with a client recently on their membership join process reminded me …
“I just want a system I don’t have to fight with.”
“I just want a system I don’t have to fight with.” I asked my client: …
“I just want a system I don’t have to fight with.” Read More »
Inertia Contributes to Bad Data
Inertia Contributes to Bad Data Without knowing anything about your organization or its data, I’d …
What are you doing with new contacts?
What Are You Doing with New Contacts/ I was very interested to read in a …
Be Aware of Selection Bias
Be Aware of Selection Bias I wrote recently about the mistaken perception of older members …
Some Things Just Take Time
Some Things Just Take Time I learned recently that an elephant’s gestation period is 18 …