Wes’s Wednesday Wisdom

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

“Different” isn’t necessarily better or worse. One of the biggest challenges I face when working with my clients is getting them to think differently about things. Whether it’s a wholesale change of systems (e.g., a new AMS) or a change in how data is processed within an existing system, thinking about things differently is difficult.

The Rule of 100 and 1,000 and automation I originally coined the rule of 100 and 1,000 in relationship to data conversion (here and here). I extended that rule to ongoing data management here. The rule of 100 and 1,000 can also be applied to automation. Simply put, if you’re managing fewer than 100 records