When I work with my clients, one of my goals is always to simplify things as much as possible. (I’m lazy by nature, so simpler is almost always better in my book!) Whether it’s the processes you use, the data you collect, or the technology you have in place, always simplify where you can.
Case in point: I was working with a client recently on data conversion, and one of the discussions was about address types. My client had about eight different types in their current system, and the question was whether we should convert all of them or just some of them.
As I explained to my client: “Many of my other clients have just three address types (which may be the same or different): mailing (for all mailing), physical (for Fedex/UPS), and billing (for, um, billing).”
It seems we can always find reasons for adding new address types, but the reality is that for most of us, just two or three types will do.
So remember: simplify. It’s just, well, simpler.