Effective Database Management
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Effective Database Management (EDM) was founded by Wes Trochlil. For more than 30 years, Wes has provided a range of consulting services, from general consulting on data management issues to various organizations. This blog is all about Wes's thoughts, articles, and insights on Database Management.
Effective Database Management
4d ago
Title What are YOUR data integrity reports? Sitting in an AMS demo with a client recently, I was pleasantly surprised to see the AMS vendor had a short list of reports they called "Data cleaning" reports. These reports included a check for potential duplicate records, checking for erroneous emails, and checking for other missing data ..read more
Effective Database Management
1w ago
You might have to do SOME of the work yourself! Many, many years ago I met with an executive director of a small association to discuss their needs for a new association management system. In the course of the conversation we determined that one thing she'd like to be able to do is capture key points ..read more
Effective Database Management
2w ago
It's always about improvement Talking with a client recently, she expressed frustration about one particular project around data. As she put it, "It feels like no matter what we do, we're never able to get all the data we want from our members." My response? "You're right. You never will. And that's OK." Because the reality ..read more
Effective Database Management
2w ago
Don't be a hoarder! The simple truth is that it's almost "free" to collect data. Or at least that's how it seems. Set up a field in the database, send out an email and ask for the data, and voila, you're collecting new data. The problem is that, in many (most?) cases, the data that we ..read more
Effective Database Management
1M ago
With data analytics (as with most things), keep it simple! Over the past several years I've spoken with many clients and other associations about their experience with data analytics. I have been surprised to learn that many associations have implemented fairly expensive analytics tools but have not had great success with them. So I was pleasantly surprised to ..read more
Effective Database Management
1M ago
Don't forget about periodic maintenance Just as most automobiles need periodic maintenance, keeping your data as up to date as possible requires maintenance, as well. And while most cars have a "typical" maintenance schedule, they are not all exactly the same (all-electric cars, for example, don't need oil changes!). The same is true for the data ..read more
Effective Database Management
1M ago
Users Groups are ALWAYS Valuable I am a huge fan of users groups. (Here's a bunch of stuff I've written in the past.) A client of mine recently attended their users group meeting, and I was reminded once again of one of the key values of the users group: peer assistance and validation. As I like ..read more
Effective Database Management
2M ago
But will you DO anything with that data? I frequently exhort my clients to always answer the question "What will you do with that information?" when they talk about collecting new data or creating new reports, queries, and dashboards. Because it's "easy" to do these things, we often want to collect or report on data without ..read more
Effective Database Management
2M ago
It’s not what happens, but how you react... “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” - Epictetus I confess, I did not know this quote came from Epictetus, but it's one I've known for a very long time. It's applicable to all of life, but so very useful ..read more
Effective Database Management
2M ago
Saying it and doing it are two different things When I work with my clients on a new AMS selection and implementation, one thing I focus on heavily is business rules and business process. This is an area most associations have total control over and is also an area that can bring dramatic improvements to data ..read more