"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
Averages hide the extremes
Averages hide the extremes I can’t remember where I first heard it, but “averages hide […]
Look up PARTIAL names!
Look up PARTIAL names! Train your staff to do look ups on partial names, not full […]
Not Just Technology
Not Just Technology There was recently a discussion on the ASAE online community about project management […]
Consider quitting
Consider quitting Patient: “Doctor, it hurts when I do this.” Doctor: “Then stop doing that.” […]
There is nothing so permanent as business rules
There is nothing so permanent as business rules Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman said, “There’s nothing […]
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 […]
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 […]