Managing an event scheduling system is a lot like maintaining a garage. Over time, you accumulate boxes, tools, and other “stuff” you swore you’d need someday, but now they just clutter the space and make it hard to park the car. In the world of facility scheduling, that clutter looks like duplicate contacts, outdated user accounts, and booking history from five years ago.
Keeping your Mazévo database clean isn't just about aesthetics. It’s also about efficiency and performance. A streamlined system ensures your reports are accurate, your search results are relevant, and your new staff members aren't bogged down by obsolete information. Whether you are in higher education or managing church or corporate facilities, a little "spring cleaning"—at any time of year—can make a world of difference.
Database cleanup was the subject of a recent Mazévo Connect session, and we’ve summarized the strategies and tools for you below. You can also check out a recording of the webinar for details on how to tune up your Mazévo database.
Key Takeaways:
- Removing old, unneeded data from your Mazévo database helps users be more efficient and optimizes system performance.
- Running the "Delete Old Events" tool clears historical clutter, which often removes data dependencies (relationships), thereby enabling you to delete unused rooms and resources.
- You can use the merge tools to consolidate duplicate organizations or contacts rather than leaving multiple versions in the system.
- Instead of deleting contacts who might return, simply disable them so they can be reactivated later if needed.
- You can use the cleanup utility to identify and remove user accounts that haven't logged in for over a year.
Why Clean Data Matters
It is easy to let data hygiene slide when you’re busy managing daily events, but the impact of a clean system is tangible. When you remove years of historical data that no longer serves a purpose, you reduce the noise in your system.
This makes tasks like finding a past event to copy or running a utilization report much faster and more accurate. Additionally, uncluttered data reduces the risk of errors, such as booking an event with a contact who left the organization three years ago.
Tools To Help You Get Started
Mazévo provides a suite of administrative tools designed specifically for this purpose. The most powerful among them is the Delete Old Events tool.
This global admin function allows you to wipe out all event data, bookings, and associated resources older than a specific date (i.e., the data must be at least one year old). When cleaning up your database, it is best to run this tool first because it removes the "dependencies" that often prevent you from deleting other items, like unused rooms or event types.
Once the heavy lifting is done, you can use the Merge Contacts and Merge Organizations tools. These are lifesavers when you discover you have "Kevin Smith" and "Kevin J. Smith" as separate entries, or "The Chess Club" and "Chess Club" as two organizations. Merging them consolidates their history into a single record, eliminating confusion.
Finally, the Cleanup utility—found in the settings for users, contacts, and rooms—provides a statistical view of your data. It shows you who hasn’t logged in recently or which rooms haven't been booked in over a year, allowing you to bulk-delete these unused elements safely.
When and How Often To Clean Your Mazévo Database
Data cleaning doesn't need to be a weekly chore, but it shouldn't be a once-a-decade event either. For many of our clients, the natural downtime during the winter holidays or in mid-summer is the perfect opportunity to perform system maintenance.
What To Keep vs. What To Let Go
We all have a bit of a "data hoarder" in us, fearing we might need that specific booking detail from 2018 at any moment. However, holding onto data "just in case" often causes more friction than it resolves.
A good rule of thumb is to ask if the data is still relevant for current reporting. If you truly need to keep historical records for compliance or nostalgia, simply export the data to an Excel spreadsheet for archiving before purging it from the live system.
Simple Habits for Long-Term Data Health
Maintaining a clean database is easier if you build small habits into your routine.
- Reassign immediately. When a staff member leaves or changes roles, use the "Change Event Contact" or "Change Event Coordinator" tools right away to transfer their future bookings to the new person in charge.
- Check for duplicates. Before creating a new organization or contact, do a quick search to ensure they don't already exist under a slightly different spelling.
- Celebrate the clean. Take a moment to appreciate how much easier it is to navigate your system after a cleanup session. It’s the same satisfying feeling as walking into a freshly organized garage.
Learn More About Mazévo
We hope you found this article and our webinar on database cleanup helpful.
For more insights on how Mazévo can help you streamline your facility management or capitalize on the benefits of a cloud-native scheduling solution in a live demonstration tailored to your needs. Or contact us if you have questions, and one of our friendly and knowledgeable team members will be happy to answer them!
