Hindsight is 20/20
I'm currently working with a client that is moving from their legacy AMS to a new system. Their legacy system is a completely custom build that has been used for nearly 30 years. As a result, the system contains a very large amount of data and data fields that the association no longer uses.
My client has repeatedly said that she's "embarrassed by how much junk there is" in their system. But the reality is, any system that's been in place for 30 years is going to have all kinds of data and fields that are no longer needed. (See here for how data accretes over time.)
It's very easy, in hindsight, to ask "Why did we ever track that data?" Remember fax numbers? And before that there were telex numbers! And we used to actually track social security numbers! Why would we ever do that?
The reality is, we make decisions with the best information we have at the time.
Yes, you should periodically take time to clean up your system and data. But don't beat yourself up for decisions you made a decade ago measured against today's standards. Hindsight is always 20/20.
Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives
Be concise!
Be concise! I started a monthly newsletter almost 25 years ago (which I recently discontinued). […]
A great example of a data integrity report!
A great example of a data integrity report! A couple months back I discussed the […]
“If you keep doin’ what you’re doin’, you’ll keep gettin’ what you’re gettin’.”
“If you keep doin’ what you’re doin’, you’ll keep gettin’ what you’re gettin’.” I saw […]
Rather than adding something new, try subtracting
Rather than adding something new, try subtracting I read recently that sociological research suggests, when presented […]
It’s always people, process, and technology
It’s always people, process, and technology I speak and write a lot about people, process, […]
Once it’s lost, trust can be difficult to regain
Once it’s lost, trust can be difficult to regain I recall hearing once long ago […]
Share your successes!
Share your successes! I was speaking at an association meeting recently and one of the points […]
What are YOUR data integrity reports?
What are YOUR data integrity reports? Sitting in an AMS demo with a client recently, […]
You might have to do SOME of the work yourself!
You might have to do SOME of the work yourself! Many, many years ago I […]
Don’t manage to the exception!
Don’t manage to the exception! One of the universal truths about data management is, wherever possible, […]