"I just want a system I don't have to fight with."
I asked my client: "What are you looking for in a new AMS?"
She responded: "I just want a system I don't have to fight with."
And it struck me that this is how A LOT of my clients feel about their data management systems; that it's a constant struggle to make the software do what they need it to do.
Consider all of your data management systems (not just your AMS, but things like your email tool, event registration tool, abstract management, voting, or any other product you use to gather data). Which of these systems do you "fight with" and which of them do the job they were meant to do?
If you feel like you're fighting, you've either got a process issue or a technology issue. (Or possibly both.) Once you figure out where the problem is, only then can you begin to address it.
![]()
Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives
Pennywise and pound foolish
Pennywise and pound foolish One definition of the phrase “pennywise and pound foolish” is to […]
How you respond matters
How you respond matters Very recently I wrote that I measure customer service by how […]
Your one non-renewable resource
Your one non-renewable resource For any project, the three primary resources are time, money, and […]
No system is perfect
No system is perfect When working with my clients on the selection of a new […]
Ask your members to update their info
Ask your members to update their info One of the greatest data management challenges any association […]
Customer vs. staff
Customer vs. staff In a properly designed AMS, when the customer goes online to your […]
Measuring customer service
Measuring customer service When I work with clients on AMS selection, one question that often […]
Iterate or innovate?
Iterate or innovate? When moving to a new association management system, there is often an implicit […]
Who is in control?
Who is in control? Speaking with a client once about their database project, the client […]
Sometimes Staff Has to do the Work
Sometimes staff has to do the work… As a child, I was attracted to computers […]
