and Knowledge into Action
BY SHELLEY SANNER, CAE
There is no question that data — both the collection and appli- cation of it — has become a fundamental part of how organizations engage and retain members.
Whether it’s product development or
meeting planning, data enables and
ensures more informed and deliberate
decisions. Unfortunately, however, data
collection for most associations also is
expensive, resource-intensive and complex.
To understand the inherent problem
of data collection and application, it
helps to turn to a classic story of dis-
covery: Archimedes, a Greek mathema-
tician, scientist and inventor, was asked
to devise a way to measure the density
of irregularly shaped objects. While
climbing into a bath one evening, he
noticed that the level of water changed
as he submerged his body. “Eureka!”
he yelled. Suddenly, the problem of
measuring density was solved.
