How will you use that data? One of the beauties of technology today is how easy it is to collect data. Add a field to your database, set up a survey, collect the data. Couldn’t be easier, right? But there are several trade-offs involved (as there always are!). One of those is that odds are good that […]
No system is perfect When working with my clients on the selection of a new system (whether it’s an AMS, a CMS, or any other software product) I stress over and over again that they will not find a “perfect” system. (As I like to joke, if a perfect system existed, I would own it
What Are You Doing with New Contacts/ I was very interested to read in a recent report from McKinley Advisors that, with the shift to virtual events, many associations are reporting “up to 70% new participants in their ecosystem.” What that means is these associations are introducing new names to their databases. (Click here to
Many of the associations I have consulted with over the years have inventoried products that they sell or give away to their members and customers. For those that are selling products, keeping track of these sales is a pretty straightforward process: the customer buys the product, the invoice and sale is tracked in the AMS,
Be aware of unintended consequences I’ve written before that every decision involves a trade-off. When considering the trade-offs that every decision requires, you should also keep in mind any unintended consequences that the decision may create. Consider the following example: A client of mine recently changed AMSes. As part of that change, members have to
Who is EDM? EDM was founded by Wes Trochlil. For over 35 years, Wes has worked in and with hundreds of associations and membership organizations throughout the US, ranging in size from zero staff (all-volunteer) to over 700. In that time, Wes has provided a range of consulting services, from general consulting on data management
I’ve written in the past that the key to a successful new AMS is not in the AMS you choose, but in how the AMS is implemented. While there are many keys to a successful implementation, here are three that are absolutely vital, in order to have the most successful implementation possible. Be willing to
Flexibility is the Key to Implementation Success Read More »
Data management IS my life, of course, but the principles I’ve outlined below apply equally well to both data management and to how you manage your life. I hope you find them useful. Principle #1: There are no solutions, only trade-offs. I suspect I’ve known this intuitively my entire life, but I first heard this principle
Three Principles for Life (and Data Management!) Read More »
Background A national trade federation had an AMS in a hosted environment. Due to a billing dispute between the federation and the AMS vendor, the vendor chose to cut off service to the federation, leaving them without an AMS. (Fortunately the federation had made a complete backup of the raw data in the AMS only
The following is a true story. As director of membership and customer service for a small trade association two decades ago, one of my responsibilities was to manage all of the purchases that members and customers made with our association. We managed over 35 events annually, and also processed several thousand orders for different products