There is ALWAYS a Trade-off
I've written many times about trade-offs (you can read a bunch here). In short, every decision you make, whether you realize it or not, involves a trade-off. And recent news reminded me once again, that not only are there always trade-offs, but often they are unseen.
This article explains how the reduction of acid rain (less sulfur, a good thing!) is now creating problems for wheat farmers (a bad thing!) because the wheat needs the sulfur to create the gluten that makes for good bread.
You can read the details in the article, but suffice it to say, nothing comes without a trade-off. For example, if you choose to stay with your current AMS, you'll save money and you won't have any staff major disruptions. But you'll also have less functionality and maybe your staff has to work harder (e.g., create workarounds).
If you choose to switch to a new AMS, it'll cost you more money and be disruptive for many months, but at the end you'll likely have more functionality, less work for staff, and even a better experience for your members and customers.
But there's always a trade-off.
![]()
Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives
Budget for feature discovery and adoption
Budget for feature discovery and adoption When developing a budget for implementation of a new […]
Customize staff pages for better user adoption
Customize staff pages for better user adoption The single most important element to data management […]
Don’t ask questions for which you already know the answer
Don’t ask questions for which you already know the answer I was recently completing an […]
All decisions involve risk
All decisions involve risk Whether it’s choosing a new AMS or introducing a new product […]
Try flowcharting your processes
Try flowcharting your processes Working with a client recently on their membership join process reminded me […]
“I just want a system I don’t have to fight with.”
“I just want a system I don’t have to fight with.” I asked my client: […]
Inertia Contributes to Bad Data
Inertia Contributes to Bad Data Without knowing anything about your organization or its data, I’d […]
What are you doing with new contacts?
What Are You Doing with New Contacts/ I was very interested to read in a […]
Be Aware of Selection Bias
Be Aware of Selection Bias I wrote recently about the mistaken perception of older members […]
Some Things Just Take Time
Some Things Just Take Time I learned recently that an elephant’s gestation period is 18 […]
