It could always be worse
Because most of us don't have the benefit (like I do) of seeing how other associations are managing their data, we tend to think our situation is much worse than it really is. So I like to collect stories of organizations that really ARE in bad shape. Here's the latest example:
A Wall Street Journal article entitled "What Can’t the Internet Handle in 2022? Apostrophes" discusses how certain data management systems are unable to manage certain characters (e.g., umlauts in names).
One of the examples is Aer Lingus. From the article: "Aer Lingus’s booking system, called Astral, is nearly 60 years old and doesn’t cater to special characters." SIXTY YEARS OLD!
And what special character can't it handle? Apostrophes. This in a country where many surnames have apostrophes!
So when you really start feeling down about how bad your systems are, remember, it could always be worse! Your system could be 60 years old and not accept apostrophes!
Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives
Are you being penny wise and pound foolish?
Are you being penny wise and pound foolish? Two quick customer service stories to illustrate […]
AMS Products are getting better – and what that means for you
AMS Products are getting better – and what that means for you I’ve been working […]
Using AI beyond content generation
Using AI beyond content generation Recent surveys by ASAE and others suggest nearly 90% of associations […]
If you’re training, PLEASE do this…
If you’re training, PLEASE do this… If you’re doing any kind of software training, or […]
Don’t confuse motion with improvement
Don’t confuse motion with improvement I wrote recently how action can produce information. But an […]
Perfection is expensive (in fact, it’s not possible!)
Perfection is expensive (in fact, it’s not possible!) “Perfection is expensive. The last 5 percent […]
AI is a journey, not a destination
AI is a journey, not a destination Lately I’ve noticed a lot of associations talking […]
Action produces information
Action produces information “Action produces information. If you’re unsure of what to do, just do […]
Why a single source of truth is so beneficial…
Why a single source of truth is so beneficial… The holy grail of data management is […]
Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should
Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should I’ve worked in and with associations for well […]