“So when we get our new database we’ll be done, right?”
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this from my clients. And I always tell them, “No, we’ll just be getting started.”
Whether you’re buying a new data management system, or have had your current AMS for years, the reality is that you’re never “done.” Managing a database is a process, not an event.
This message is especially important for senior management and board-level directors to hear. Too often they believe that once the AMS selection process is complete, all of our problems will go away. Well, frequently, the real problem is not just the technology, but how we’re managing the data from day to day.
This is why I tell my clients that they should run a database PR campaign. They should constantly reinforce to all users that the database is a “living document,” ever-changing and requiring constant attention. This is active management.
Because data management is a process, not an event.