Effective Database Management : Standardize before you optimize

25 January 2018, by Wes Trochlil, in Data Management, No comments

I first read this phrase in a James Clear blog post. And what it means, simply put, is that before you can really optimize any behavior, you have to standardize how you perform that behavior. And this is so true when it comes to data management.

I harp constantly about the need to document processes. The primary reason this is important is that, as an organization, you have to have some agreement on how we do things. Documentation helps to bring us to that agreement. Another way to look at documentation is to see it as standardization. These are our standard practices.

Once you have your practices documented, once you’ve standardized your practices, then you can begin to optimize them.

Many of my clients ask me to help them with best practices and to improve their processes. Only by establishing standard practices can we then begin to optimize them.

So look around your organization. Are your data management practices documented (standardized)? If they’re not, it’s going to be exceedingly difficult to optimize them.

About author: Wes Trochlil

“Wes was able to come in and offer tangible, relevant advice that made us more productive immediately. I value his understanding of databases but more so, his understanding of how nonprofits work. There was no lost time educating him about how membership organizations are “different.” Wes recommended changes in processes as well as tips and tricks that were easy to implement made an immediate positive impact.”

Mary Pat Paris, Executive Director

International Registration Plan

“We came to Wes because we were very frustrated with our existing AMS and we wanted to improve our capabilities as soon as practicable. Wes very quickly helped us through a process of identifying our needs, identifying potential vendors, and selecting a new system that we’ll be able to move into very quickly. I especially appreciated Wes’s candor about our processes as well as the systems we were looking at. He was a great resource to have in a period of high anxiety for our organization. I would highly recommend Wes for any similar project.”

Jack Chiasson, CMP Executive Director

National Association of Life Brokerage Agencies

“Wes was able to come in and offer tangible, relevant advice that made us more productive immediately. I value his understanding of databases but more so, his understanding of how nonprofits work. There was no lost time educating him about how membership organizations are “different.” Wes recommended changes in processes as well as tips and tricks that were easy to implement made an immediate positive impact.”
Mary Pat Paris, Executive Director
International Registration Plan

Mary Pat Paris

International Registration Plan

“This is the second database implementation we’ve done since I have been at Western Arts Alliance (WAA). The first I did on my own. This time we engaged Wes Trochlil as our database planning consultant. Let me tell you, this process is a whole lot easier having Wes on your team! For a small association like WAA, it’s tempting for board and EDs to question the justification and expense of a database planning consultant. But it’s the small associations that need Effective Database Management the most. Wes strengthened our planning process, clarified our needs requirements, helped us steer around solutions that couldn’t meet our objectives, and saved us money in the long haul.”
Tim Wilson, Executive Director
Western Arts Alliance

Tim Wilson

Western Arts Alliance

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