Changing ChMS's

A church staff person emailed me this week asking about changing their ChMS (Church Management Software solution).  Their team has some dissatisfaction with their current solution-- even though it is one of the top solutions available.  Following is an excerpt from my response that may be helpful.

Changing ChMS's is a big undertaking, and you're currently using one of the top contenders.  My goal is not to talk you into staying with your current solution, but to add to the discussion.

It's always good for ministry teams to understand that there is no 'perfect' solution.  That means that no matter what ChMS you change to, there will at best be an 80-85% fit.  The questions to answer as you consider your current dissatisfaction revolve around trying to identify:

• The needs your current solution meets and doesn't meet, and

• The extent-- preferably expressed in a percentage-- your current solution is meeting/ not meeting your needs.

You may find by going through that exercise that the percentage is such that the change will likely not improve things-- especially if you're already at 80% satisfaction or above.  The cost of changing is not only the cost of the software, but also the cost of lost productivity during the transition.

Mac Malware is On The Rise

For years I've been saying that the Mac is susceptible to malware attacks.  In fact, I'm on record in my articles that it's the most vulnerable of modern OS's.  The attacks on Macs are on the rise, and I encourage you to make certain your Macs are all protected with a solid anti-malware solution.  The one we recommend is Sophos.

New Article: Copier Buying Tips

While at the NACBA National Conference last year I was talking with Rob Leacock, Christ Church Fort Worth's business administrator. We were talking about his recent decision to replace their copier, and his process was impressive and effective! Especially how much money he saved!

I wrote a brief article about it; click here to read it.

Web Development & IT-- Are They the Same Thing?

While at a conference last week it hit me that those who are not entrenched in IT (information technology) often don't know there's a difference between web development and IT.  While the two are related (they both involve computers and data transfers), they are very different.

My Definitions

• IT is the applied science of creating a data infrastructure that supports the applications a team needs to accomplish its mission.  It includes engineering servers, firewalls, switches and routers, workstations, and software.
• Web Development is the applied art of communicating an organization's mission to help people understand the what's, why's, who's, and how's necessary to accomplish its mission.

I'm not saying web development isn't technical-- it is!  But it is very different from IT.