In a database dystopia? Three data management tips to lower your data-based stress

Please raise your hand if you have been personally victimized by your organization's database.

Whether it is an Excel spreadsheet or a CRM system, there are all sorts of ways that a nonprofit database can make our lives more difficult:

• The data entry process isn't intuitive
• The data is messy, inconsistent, or incomplete
• You need a computer science degree to run a report
• No one has updated the system since the founding of the organization
  

Sometimes, the technology housing your data may not be the right fit for your organization. But if the resources aren't there for a significant database overhaul, here are three ideas to turn your system from your enemy to your friend (or at least a frenemy).

Messy, missing data? Make a dictionary!

No one is ever as excited about data dictionaries as I am because, on the surface, it doesn't sound like a riveting topic. However, a clear data dictionary is critical to manage your data in the short and long term. Let me give you an example.

I once worked for an organization that ran a support hotline. Whenever a call came in, we would summarize it in a few sentences in our database and categorize it as an education call, legal call, or benefits call, depending on the topic. But it didn't take me long to notice that the same types of calls were categorized differently depending on who entered the information into the system. That's because there were no instructions or guidance about what "counted" as an education call versus a legal one, especially when families called about multiple issues at once. As a result, we didn't have a good sense of what issues were most important to families reaching out to us for help.

So how did we fix it?

1. Our team  created definitions for each call category based on our experiences working on the hotline.
2. We wrote down our definitions and created a dictionary with examples that we could all access to prevent any confusion.
3. We developed a process for what to do if we needed help deciding how to categorize complicated calls.
   

By creating a reference and sticking to it, we improved the quality of our data and better understood what kinds of resources our families really needed.

Need a PhD to run a report? Write a user guide!

Sometimes, databases can feel unnecessarily complicated or have "quirks" that prevent you from entering or running data reports as quickly as you might like. Organizations often do not have written step-by-step instructions on operating their databases or navigating those pesky quirks. The lack of guidance leaves people to figure things out by themselves, which is not super fun if you're new to data entry and reporting.

Instead, gather your data team to write a step-by-step guide to data entry and reporting in your system. (Your data team is anyone who uses your database.) To get the most out of your user guide:

• Be as detailed as possible with data entry and reporting instructions so that anyone without any data knowledge can be successful (check out this peanut butter and jelly sandwich lesson to understand the importance of being specific!)
• Use screenshots and even videos to get your points across
• Include the process for what to do (and who to ask) if anything in the guide is not working as it should
  

As a bonus, writing a guide will allow your team to talk through current processes and see if the team can make updates to simplify more complex tasks.

Train the team on data management

Once your team has documented its database definitions and processes, train everyone who uses your database to increase the likelihood that everyone will use the system the same way. Incorporate a review of these documents as a part of onboarding new employees and be ready to conduct further training if any changes are made to data definitions or processes.

It's easy to think of databases as cold, uncooperative, sterile things when they aren't working how we want them to. But databases are human creations; we decide what we want to put in and why, and what we need to get out of them. By owning the creative process – defining what terms mean and how to use them – we can get more out of the tools designed to serve us.

Need help with an unruly database? Schedule a free 45-minute consultation call today!