Little by little, a little becomes a lot
"Little by little, a little becomes a lot."
I don't know where I first read it (a google search says it's a Tanzanian proverb; I'm dubious), but I love the phrase, especially as it relates to data management.
One of the many challenges of data management is that it can be so overwhelming. Even the smallest organizations have tons of data. Where to begin when it comes to cleaning up and maintaining?
They key is to just start somewhere, and to build in small habits for data cleaning. These small steps, little by little, will lead you to much cleaner data over time.
And with cleaner data you'll move into the cycle of virtue (click here to read all about that).
And cleaner data begets cleaner data!
Where to begin? Consider these baby steps or weeding the garden. Soon a little becomes a lot.
![]()
Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives
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 […]
Data doesn’t need to be perfect to be useful
Data doesn’t need to be perfect to be useful “Your data doesn’t have to be […]
Don’t just clean data, clean reports and queries
Don’t just clean data, clean reports and queries One of the reasons I exhort my […]
Don’t forget, your staff have day jobs…
Don’t forget, your staff have day jobs… The vast majority of my work is finite […]
Beware the automated “How did we do?” trap!
Beware the automated “How did we do?” trap! One of the downsides of technology is […]
Hindsight is 20/20
Hindsight is 20/20 I’m currently working with a client that is moving from their legacy […]
