One of the best ways to analyze a given process (e.g., membership joins) is to flowchart it. Flowcharts can be very useful in identifying weak spots, redundancies, or exceptions. But another useful tool is to simply write down the process as a narrative. This could be bullet points or actual paragraphs. But writing down the process …
One of my “standard” rules is, generally speaking, associations should not be in the business of developing their own software. I explain all my reasoning about that position here. But like pretty much every rule in life, there are certain exceptions. (Note here that “develop software” includes hiring a third party to build it; it doesn’t …
Sometimes you DO have to develop your own software Read More »
My #1 Best Practice… A client recently asked me: “If you had to pick a single best practice for data management, what would it be?” Without thinking, I blurted out: “Don’t be stupid.” What I meant by that is too often we are our own worst enemies when it comes to data management. We make business rules that are …
When’s the “least bad” time? When working with clients on a new project, especially a new system launch, the question is always asked, “What’s the best time to do this?” And after a long discussion about all the possible dates and how none of them will really work, I usually suggest “How about we find …
Averages hide the extremes I can’t remember where I first heard it, but “averages hide the extremes” can be a really useful guide when thinking about how you manage data. Here’s a nice illustration from one of my clients: As they looked at their event registration they saw an average of 100 registrations per month …
Try flowcharting your processes Working with a client recently on their membership join process reminded me of the tremendous value of putting your processes into a flowchart. In their case, a single membership join (organization) requires asking three questions before the correct “join path” is determined. Drawing a flowchart of this decision process will help provide them …
Daylight savings and business rules This past Sunday, most of the US observed Daylight Savings Time and moved our clocks one hour ahead. Daylight Savings Time (DST) is a case-study in how bad business rules never go away. Consider: DST was implemented first during WWI and then implemented as federal law in 1966. A classic case …
Be careful with absolutes When I speak with clients I try to be careful about speaking in absolutes. I’ll catch myself saying things like “The only way you can do that…” or “All associations have this challenge…” The proper way to say this is along the lines of “One of the best ways you can …
Simple rules for complex systems I first heard the phrase “simple rules for complex systems” from Jonah Goldberg, who was commenting on rules for political/social systems. But I think this maxim is very applicable to data management. After all, most AMS systems are complex, so the rules that manage them should be as simple as possible. …
Annual dues vs. anniversary dues I served as director of membership for several years at a couple of different associations. When talking with my fellow association membership pros, the question often arose: Which is best; anniversary dues or annual dues? Some quick definitions: anniversary dues are dues that are renewed a year after the member joins …