Garbage in, gospel out
We've all heard the phrase "Garbage in, garbage out." If the data entered into the system is bad, any reports coming out of it will be bad. Simple.
But what about "Garbage in, gospel out"? (I first heard this from my father.) Translated, this is reflected in the attitude of "If the system says it is so, it must be."
We've probably all encountered this with a consumer goods company when the customer service rep says "Sir, my records show your service is working fine," as I sit on my end with no internet service.
The antidote to Garbage in, Gospel out is "Trust, but verify." It's ok to assume your data reports are good, as long as you've verified they are good! One way to verify your data is through the use of data integrity reports.
Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives
Some history IS important!
Some history IS important! When I’m advising clients on data conversion (moving data from one […]
“Many mickles make a muckle.”
“Many mickles make a muckle.” “Many mickles make a muckle.” – George Washington Apparently, this […]
It’s easy to collect; it’s harder to manage
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
Tell them why you want the data Because data is so easy to collect these […]
Don’t get hung up on something minor
Don’t get hung up on something minor I’m a problem solver. I love to solve […]
Be flexible, especially for unusual requests
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.”
“Her eyes were bigger than her stomach.” When I was a child, my siblings used […]
Once you buy crap…
Once you buy crap… “When you buy something cheap and bad, the best you’re going […]
It could always be worse
It could always be worse Because most of us don’t have the benefit (like I […]
It’s all about managing expectations
It’s all about managing expectations I placed an order online on a Friday and the […]