“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: "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

Documenting Process is Critical

February 22, 2019

When it comes to managing data successfully, process is critical. For example, a client of […]

Motion vs. Action

February 14, 2019

In James Clear’s book Atomic Habits (I recommend it!), he discusses the concept of motion vs. action. […]

Are You Answering Your Calls?

February 7, 2019

I’ve written about this before, but apparently I have to keep repeating it. If you’ve […]

Who do you trust?

January 31, 2019

Who Do You Trust I was reading an article recently about Warren Buffet’s “rules” for […]

Set benchmarks to measure progress

January 24, 2019

It’s impossible to measure progress if you don’t know your starting point. This sounds axiomatic, […]

You’ll make incorrect decisions. Acknowledge them and fix it.

January 17, 2019

A client of mine recently wrote the following to me: “It’s so hard to set […]

"Experience is unobservable to everyone except the person who it happens to."

January 10, 2019

In Dan Gilbert’s book Stumbling on Happiness, he writes: “Experience is unobservable to everyone except […]

Know Your Audience Before You Speak

December 20, 2018

This one may seem obvious, but when you’re speaking to anyone, whether it’s one person, […]

"Behavior is a function of the person in their environment."

December 13, 2018

Lewin’s equation says “behavior is a function of the person in their environment.” (He was […]

Signal-to-noise ratio

December 5, 2018

Signal-to-noise ratio Signal-to-noise ratio, formally used, applies to electricity and engineering, and refers to how […]

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