While it may sound trite, it bears repeating that no data management system is perfect. I have yet to meet an association executive who thinks their system works perfectly.

And yet, very often we'll spend hours trying to find "perfect" software or trying to design the "perfect" data management process. The reality is, if you're hitting 80%, you're probably doing really well. (Click here to read more on that.)

For example, almost invariably when I work with a new client, one challenge they'll have is the creation of duplicate records by their members and customers. As it is typically put, "Our members will come online to do something, they can't remember their username or login, and so they create a new record. And then we have to de-dupe it."

The reality is, challenges like this will NEVER go away. Members and customers will find a way to create duplicate records, no matter how many "forgot your name/forgot your password" options you offer. Because they're humans!

Maybe we can improve this, maybe we can't. But we'll never reach the point where it's perfect, so don't set that expectation, or you'll always be disappointed.