Choosing a new database

©Dale Jennings Associates December 2012

Getting a New Database A primer for charities

These slides are a non-technical overview about what getting a new database involves. They are intended to start charity leaders thinking practically and realistically and are NOT sufficient to use as a workbook or checklist. The slides are adapted from our one day training course with exercises removed.


One Day Course Content (not all of it in this slide set)

• The non-technical essentials about databases – Why not spread sheets? – The database ecosystem – what else

your database needs in order to thrive – The different types of database: CRMs,

client management systems, donor management, etc.

– The money saving myths – Your responsibilities – Who needs to do what – What a vendor can and really can’t do

for you – Leading by example when technology

isn’t your thing

• How to define your requirements – What do you / should you collect and

count? – Core processes & long term habits – The essential hidden extras – Developing key selection criteria

• Important considerations – Open source or commercial software? – Which versions of Microsoft Windows

and Office? – Will it run on your computers? – Should you go to the cloud? – Going mobile – Links to social media – Security and privacy – What you can expect to pay

• Course Exercises (for your situation) using templates you can keep

– Identifying stakeholders and relevant mapping for your situation

– What do you need to count? – Do you have technical constraints? – Capability building – Q&A – Identifying next steps


The problem with spread sheets (that a database can reduce or avoid entirely)

• Security

– Files can be copied and deleted easily; even accidentally

– Multiple copies and the versions

– Tendency for spread sheet to become the “personal property” of individual staff members

• Manual processes

– Staff must cut, paste and operate on data in a way that must introduce errors

– Easy to overwrite cells with no warning or indication it happened

– Limited data validation capability

– Time spent “checking” data is correct or complete.

– Someone must remember to update tracking; no automatic updates

– Handcrafted reports

• No audit trail or alerts

– Who did what? When?

– How long has a status been current?

– Limited historical view

– No automatic indication of overdue events


Your “Database Ecosystem” (at home OR in “the cloud”)

Internet

SOFTWARE

Personal Devices

Processes

Data

Reports

People

Security

Governance

Servers Storage


EVERY Database does much the Same Thing

What do your people, clients etc. collect? Why do you need it? What will you do with it?

STORE

PROTECT ORGANISE PROCESS

Data IN Information

OUT


Database = Organisation’s Kitchen

GROCERIES client details,

case notes, etc.

MEALS reports,

trends, invoices

KITCHEN database


Database Variations

• Specialist databases “dress up” the basics.

• Search types – Indexed: by fields

– Semantic: match language (Google)

NB: Basic technology should thrive in your ecosystem


Money Saving Myths (finding your balance point)

Potential Reductions Potential additions

• Extra tasks needed to support database – user administration

– data and process alignment

• Increased IT costs

• Less people/effort needed to do day to day work – May do more with same

– Or do same with less

• Reduce or remove “checking” and sig off activities.


Responsibilities

• You always retain responsibility for – Legal compliance – Performance management – Defining operational

requirements – Managing the data in your

systems – Ensuring systems are fit for

purpose – Training system users – Business continuity planning

and provision


Vendors CANNOT

• Choose a technology they don’t sell

• Recommend someone else’s product

• Be more expert in your work than you are

• Mange the project to your priorities

• Manage your staff & volunteers


Leading Technology Change By Example (when technology isn’t your thing)

• Be Genuine • Get training, coaching or

mentoring • Accept and plan for the

cost • Get expert advice at

critical stages / tasks – Defining requirements – Reviewing proposals – Testing – Initial alignment


Role of IT

Cost Of IT

Supports basic comms

and data

AND Supports

critical business

PROCESSES

AND Supports

critical business

DECSIONS

AND IT is part of the product or service

AND IT is the

product or service

$

$ 6%

?

3%

A Thought about Budgets


Process for Successful New Databases (Easy huh?)

Understand what you want and why you want it

Know what it is worth

Understand the challenges

Try before you buy

What will it really cost? Do we have the resources? How will fill the gaps?

Design for usability: make the system do the work not your staff.

Manage the project tightly BUT allow enough alignment, testing and training time.


Developing from scratch

• DON’T do it ! – Unless there really is no alternative OR – You have lots and lots of spare money

• There are literally thousands of CRM’s, project tools etc. “off the shelf”. See http://www.getapp.com/

• There are specialist databases for social services,

health and community etc.

http://www.getapp.com/

http://www.getapp.com/


How the customer described it.

How the project leader understood it.

How the analyst designed it.

How the programmer wrote it

How the consultant reported it

How the developer documented it

How the technician installed it.

How the accountant billed it

How the supplier supported it

What the Customer REALLY needed


What do you want?

1. To meet strategic goals

2. Operational needs 3. Eco-system constraints

4. Financial constraints

5. Time scales

6. Digital Literacy


Database Requirements: Perspectives

• Client(s) Journey

• Stakeholders

– in the client journey

– On their own journeys

• Compliance & Funder needs

• Appropriate Technology

• Dataflow

Read this story in the notes.


Database Perspectives: Data flow

Whatever dominates your cash flow should dominate your data flow

• What are you paid to do?

• This may NOT be the same as your mission

• What do you spend most of your time, energy, and resources doing?

• Fee for service contracts tend to dictate minimum system requirements

NB: Your mission may require more (e.g. collecting research data)


Database Perspectives: Your workload

• There will be a lot of work for your organisation

– 40% working out your requirements

– 5% (or less) talking to software sales people

– 20% “try before you” buy evaluation of preferred solution

– 25% aligning system in detail once selected

– 10% training and supporting staff through deployment


What is Database

Alignment?

• Any database must be set up for you use – Configure colours, logo and field names to match your

jargon – Load in data set variables – Establish alerts and/or dashboard: e.g. how many

assessments are due/overdue today? This week? – Set up workflow to force process: e.g. record cannot be

saved without DoB entered – Design and set up reports

• Evaluating a system means trying all of the above!


Preparing your Requirements #1 Map stakeholder journeys

• Give “exemplar” stakeholders names – Easier for your team to talk about “Chris” than it is about a

“typical client”. – Can have more than one profile if relevant

• For each stakeholder – What is their journey through your core processes?

• What are their objectives? • Are they willing travellers?

– Where do they touch other stakeholders? – Where do they provide information?

• What is recorded and how/where will it be used?

– Where do they make decisions? – Where are decisions made about them? – Where is information about them but not from them provided?

• What is recorded and how will it be used?


Preparing Requirements #2

What do you have to account for?

• Make sure the database records the same “units” as you need for invoices or funder reports

• If the database counts something different you are setting up to fail!

• For example: counting time spent with clients – actual hours and minutes OR – one hour slots regardless of

actual time spent OR – number of sessions OR – all X or X approved sessions OR – ???.


Preparing your Requirements #3 Define your critical datasets

A dataset is a set of values that can be used to categorise a data record. • It will be a search variable when selecting data for reports • It can be a drop down list for data entry. • They should be centrally managed and consistantly used • May be defined my someone else – e.g. Government

ministry ethnicity categories. • A record may

– Use only one on the set to the exclusion of others: e.g. child or adult

– Use more than one simultaneously: e.g. hobbies

You have to define the rules • The new database must be able to enforce them.


• Open source or commercial software?

• “Off the shelf” or custom built?

• Which versions of Microsoft Windows and Office?

• Will it run on your computers?

• Should you go to the cloud?

• Going mobile

• Links to social media

• Security and privacy

• What you can expect to pay

Questions to answer AFTER requirements prepared: (It doesn’t matter being an OK answer IF you can justify it)


Development Methods Probably best to use an AGILE(ish) methods not SDLC: • especially if you are not developing from scratch • AGILE (ish) methods

– is a cycle of prototype a function, try it, fix & refine it then add another function

– Involves more staff and volunteers – Shows progress fast – Is easy to test – Supports ecosystem testing

• SDLC = software development lifecycle – Scopes everything first – More specialist intensive – Less staff involvement – Slower – Harder to test – More expensive to fix mistakes


Avoid mistakes: Try before You Buy (it’s a BIG decision!)

• Many suppliers offer a 30 day free trail.

• Software as a service allows you to sign up for a short timeframe

• Is invaluable to

– Ensure a “good fit”

– Spot resource gaps

– Identify necessary extras

– Try out supplier service

– Involve the team


Specifically: WHAT to try before you buy

• Does it work in your environment? – Do you need new computers or a software upgrade?

– Can you network go fast enough?

• Would it need changes?

• Questions where the answer should be “YES” – Does the database count what you need it too?

– Can it follow your stakeholder journeys?

– Can you configure it yourselves with training? (e.g. changing field names, adding logo, adding to data sets)

– Can you generate the reports you need?

(without dumping data to spread sheets)


Project Timescales IDEA

Define

Requirements Select

De

sig

n

& P

lan

Develop Deploy

TIME

Re

al

Imag

ine

d


Time

Cost

Project Benefits

POTENTIAL

BENIFITS

IDEAL RANGE

If you need to change the project plan make sure you keep the benefits.


Check Reality at Every Stage

• What is a requirement; what is a habit?

• Are you counting what you have to account for?

• What must be audited?

• Do we still get the benefits we want?

• NB: Don’t force a fit!


Good Luck!

• Contact Dale Jennings Associates if you need help at [email protected] or 021 0234 9095 – Our first 90minute consultation is free and without

obligation

• Check us out by going to our website or “Google” our Principal Hazel Jennings for more information.

• We are MSD capability mentors listed in the MSD Family Services Directory.

• We are independent of all IT vendors: – We don’t sell or take commission on software, r hardware

or telecoms or anything else

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.dalejennings.co.nz/

Choosing a new database

Government & Nonprofit

Transcript of Choosing a new database