Signal-to-noise ratio
Signal-to-noise ratio, formally used, applies to electricity and engineering, and refers to how much of a desired signal is being received, versus how much background noise is coming through.
The same thing applies to your database. The signal is your good data; the noise is your bad data. I've argued for years that the higher your signal-to-noise ratio in your database, the more likely you are to enter the cycle of doom, where staff will no longer trust the data, and stop using it. Bad data, including outdated contacts, is noise.
In order to improve your signal-to-noise ratio, you need to continually monitor and clean your data. Here are some ways you might do that.
![]()
Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives
Don’t ask if you’re not going to answer!
Don’t ask if you’re not going to answer! In the past week, on three different […]
Seek forgiveness rather than permission
Seek forgiveness rather than permission “Seek forgiveness, not permission.” I can’t remember when I first […]
Is a 360 degree view necessary?
Is a 360 degree view necessary? “A 360 degree view of our members should NOT […]
Why data matters
Why data matters I write about data because managing our data effectively will help us […]
It’s about process
It’s about process I’m in the midst of adding an AI agent to my website […]
Data integrity reports
Data integrity reports I speak and write a lot about data integrity reports. So I […]
The most important training tip
The most important training tip I’ve been sitting in a lot of database training sessions […]
Be careful about getting tangled
Be careful about getting tangled “We had done a lot to tangle ourselves up.” – […]
Discipline. Always discipline.
Discipline. Always discipline. I’ve been producing a newsletter in some form for over 25 years […]
Simpler is better
Simpler is better Recently, a client of mine was discussing how they manage membership reinstatements. […]
