Because we’re so focused on always improving what we have now, it’s easy to overlook the things we already have. I’ve been working in association management systems for almost 30 years now, and the amount of progress in technology over that time is nearly dumbfounding. We’ve gone from systems that were entirely locked down, character-based, and non-relational, to systems that are completely open, accessible anywhere and to anyone, and can even anticipate what a user needs!
I can still remember how excited I was to see a windows-based AMS that would allow me to cut and paste data from one program into another! Cut and paste?!? Who ever heard of such a thing?! (Here’s an article I wrote nearly ten years ago discussing all the technology changes that had already occurred.)
So as you work through your day and get frustrated with all the things your system can’t do, take a moment to be grateful for all the things it can. It’s important to keep a sense of perspective.