Wes's Weekly Wisdom Archives

Artificial Intelligence is the next revolution in data management I’ve been in the data management business for over 35 years now (and even longer if you count my days in 4-H!). And over those years I’ve seen many examples of what was supposed to be “the next revolution in data management.” In my opinion, there have […]

There’s always gonna be something I’ve been consulting for 26 years now and I’m still sometimes surprised to learn that no matter how much due diligence you do, you’ll still miss things. Case in point: Working with a client recently on a system conversion, we discovered that the new system placed Puerto Rico, Guam, and […]

Eyes wide open and affirmative decision-making When I work with my clients on any type of project, whether it’s selection of a new system or improving data management within the organization, I always emphasize one thing: When we make decisions, we want to make them with eyes wide open. What I mean is this: Any […]

Honoring an industry legend I’m taking a break from my usual data management tips to acknowledge the passing of an industry legend. Last week, Loretta DeLuca, CEO of DelCor, passed away. For those of you who didn’t know Loretta, she was the CEO of DelCor, an IT consulting firm, that has served the association market for […]

You CAN compete with the big guys… In my experience, associations often undersell their actual ability to provide high level service to their members and customers. I often hear association staff say “We can’t compete against the huge budgets of giant for-profit companies.” But I think it’s important that we keep in mind that even […]

Join (or start) your users group! Today’s message is simple: If the AMS you’re using has a users group, you should join it and be active in it. If they don’t have one, start one on your own! (Click here for tips on how to do that.) On an almost weekly basis I’m reminded of […]

They don’t care, until they care. One of the more common questions I get from my clients is “How can we keep contact info up to date on our members, especially when they change jobs?” My (glib) answer is always the same: “Your members don’t care about you or even think about you…until it matters […]

Longfellow and data management “We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing while others judge us by what we have already done.” – From the novel Kavanagh by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow And what does that have to do with data management, you ask? The first half says “we judge ourselves by what we feel capable […]

Do you really need all that historical data? A question I’ll often get from my clients as they’re making the transition from one AMS to another is “How much historical data do we need to convert?” My preferred answer is always “None.” The easiest data conversions are those with the least amount of data. But […]

AI actually requires thinking “I don’t think AI introduces a new kind of thinking. It reveals what actually requires thinking.” – Chip Huyen, author of the book AI Engineering. I have very little to add to the current expansive discussion of AI surrounding us, but this simple quote encapsulates an important point. AI won’t replace the thinking […]

It’s not the mistakes, but how you respond Recently a client was complaining about a bug that had been introduced in the latest release of their software. She was very upset that the bug hadn’t been caught before the release. While I understand her frustration, bugs are a reality of software. The real test here is how the […]

The hidden costs of bad data Nobody likes bad data, and presumably we’re all working tirelessly to minimize it. After all, bad data has a price. Some obvious “costs” of bad data include poor deliverability of email/snail mail, inability to target market/message, inability to analyze data effectively, and potential reputational embarrassment. But there are also many […]

Don’t let your customers edit their names online! This issue came up recently and I was surprised because I thought we were past this. The issue is this: If you allow your members and customers to view and edit their profile online, as a rule, you should never allow them to edit their first or […]

Once is an accident, twice is coincidence, three times is a pattern. We’ve probably all heard this phrase: “Once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, three times is a pattern.” What this means is that when we see an actual pattern of behaviors or results (and not just random one-offs), there is an underlying issue to […]

“Every association does this.” One of the most significant values I bring to my clients is perspective. Specifically the perspective of having worked with several hundred associations of all sizes and types. It is not uncommon for me to hear from my clients “I don’t understand why our AMS doesn’t do things this particular way. Every […]

Trust your gut When I help associations with selection of a new technology system (e.g., AMS), I have a time-tested process to follow to help them make the best decision for their organization and their needs. With this process it is not unusual for my clients to narrow their choices down to two really good options. […]

“People more frequently require to be reminded than informed.” “People more frequently require to be reminded than informed.” – Samuel Johnson I came across this quote recently and immediately thought “Exactly!” A lot of my consulting is actually reminding my clients to do things they already know to do, but have allowed themselves to get […]

Problems without solutions are not problems, they are facts of life “Problems without solutions are not problems, they are facts of life.” A form of this quote is attributed to James Burnham, a philosopher and political scientist. I’ve always loved this quote because there are so many “problems” in the world of data management. One that […]

Perfect is not possible We’ve all heard the phrase “Perfect is the enemy of good” and I like to think that most of us believe it. But oddly enough, this phrase tends to get ignored when it comes to data management. In my experience, too often associations believe that if they discover anyerrors in their data […]