| So
you think you have a unique requirement... (Part
2)
Monday August 16, 2010
If your organisation
believes that you have a unique requirement which
means you have to develop a bespoke database then
this blog post challenges you to consider if this
really is the case. In this second post, I lay
out a process which you can use and consider if
you do believe you have a unique requirement.
Read
more...
So
you think you have a unique requirement... (Part
1)
Tuesday August 10, 2010
One thing I am told
too often during my database procurement consultancy,
is “… we have this unique requirement,
so we really need to write our own bespoke database”.
To which my response is usually, Really? And what
is that unique requirement? And most of the time
when we discuss it we find that it is not so unique
after all and that an existing database package
on the market would be fine - and I would nearly
always recommend that you at least consider packages
before creating bespoke systems.
This blog post attempts
to help you consider this issue. I have split
it over two posts: the first, below, highlights
my thoughts on the pros and cons of using
packages vs bespoke systems vs “hybrid CRM”
solutions Read
more...
The
3 Most Important Things To Do in a Data Migration
Project
Thursday August 5, 2010
Most times when you
implement a new database, you will need to migrate
the data from an existing database (or databases,
or spreadsheets…) to your new system. And
assuming you don’t have just a few hundred
records – in which case, it might be far
more pragmatic to re-key them into your new database
– you will need to perform a data migration
exercise. Below are what I consider the three
most important things to do in a data migration
project. Read
more...
KISS
Contacts Software Review: A fundraising database
for £100
Monday August 2, 2010
Can you get a decent
fundraising database system for a small charity
for just £100? Well, if you buy KISS Contacts
then by and large the answer is “Yes”.
It isn’t as rich in functionality as your
Raiser’s Edges, ThankQs and IRIS’s,
it may not be the most beautiful system, and it’s
unlikely that it is the most appropriate system
for more than a few simultaneous users or tens
of thousands of records, but that is not its market.
It’s primarily appropriate for small charities
and membership organisations who need a quick,
simple dedicated fundraising/membership database
and for that sector it offers a good deal. Read
more...
The
Raiser's Edge: Why does one person like it and
the next hate it?
Tuesday July 13, 2010
I have recently been
talking to several charities who use The Raiser's
Edge. And it seems to me that whenever you gather
together a group of fundraisers, throw in a few
charity DBAs (and a pinch of technology consultants),
and start talking about The Raiser's Edge, then,
almost inevitably, some of the group will sing
its praises and others will slate it and tell
you it’s rubbish. But why? It’s the
same software being used at the different charities
(possible version differences aside), with the
same functionality (modules aside) and surely
all organisations could use it the same way? So
why then, if one person loves it, does the next
person find it just doesn’t work for their
charity? Read
more...
Microsoft
CRM for Charities: Where Are We Now?
Tuesday June 1, 2010
18 months ago, I
discussed how I thought Microsoft CRM Dynamics
was about to cause a stir in the charity sector.
So was I right? Well, yes and no - it has certainly
started to be used within the NFP sector and adopted
by some sector software suppliers as well, but
maybe not as quickly as I had expected it to.
But now with the recent announcement from Microsoft
that they are launching a specific version for
charities, and that this will be released in the
UK later this year, does that mean that now is
the time that it will truly expand into the sector?
Here's a few new thoughts on that: Read
more...
Selected Previous Blog Posts:
Top
10 Benefits of Project Management
(July 2010)
Is
£0 Really Too Much to Pay For Gift Aid Software
(July 2010)
16
Ways to Improve User Buy-in (July 2010)
How
England Could Have Won the World Cup if Only They
Had Used a Fundraising Database (July 2010)
Why
Free Software Doesn't Mean Zero Cost (June
2010)
The
Next Time Someone Says, But They're My Records...
(April 2010)
Why
Not Outsource All Your Database Management
(April 2010)
|
