|
Before You Flip the Switch:
Benefits of Taking a Test Drive
By Keith Heller
Adopting new database software? A test
conversion -- transferring your data to your new system before
it goes live -- will help you discover issues in the software
before they become problems. You’ll have the opportunity
to review your data in the new system, design and document your
future business practices, and take the reporting and output
features for a test drive.
For a successful test, first define what you
want your new system to do. How will you process transactions?
What kind of reports will you need? This helps determine how to
set up your new database, and how you’ll map data from
your old system.
When you run the test, see if you’ve made
the right choices about where to put your data. Test the
list-generation and reporting features, and fine tune the
business practices you’ll actually use when the
system’s up and running. This step is crucial—each
aspect of your business practice means another choice to make,
and such choices are best made with the luxury of time a test
conversion allows.
If things go awry in your test, don’t
worry -- there’s no better time for it.
A test drive can diffuse the worry that seems
to go hand in hand with software installs. It will also give
staff a chance to learn the software before it goes live,
letting them develop a comfort level with the new system that
training alone can’t match. And it can pinpoint issues you
can resolve now to help ensure a smooth and productive
transition when you make the big switch.
***
Keith Heller is principal of Heller
Consulting, a fundraising technology and operations consulting
firm dedicated to optimizing the efficacy and efficiency of
nonprofits. This tip was provided by Idealware, which provides
candid information to help nonprofits choose effective software.
For more articles and reviews, go to www.idealware.org
| 
Tell-a-friend!
