Often, the responsibility for using and maintaining these systems was relegated to support staff members. Gradually, as the software evolved, various add-on modules for such activities as executive reporting, prospect research, planned giving and membership moved some usage onto the desks of other staff, possibly even that of executive management. Rarely, if ever, though, did such systems include as users such important groups as board members, volunteers, donors, affiliated agencies, prospective donors, and other related individuals. Introduction Increased sophistication and integration of add-on modules and other applications have created several unfortunate results. Among the first results are the raw size and complexity of such sophisticated systems.
Large applications require equally large, powerful, and costly hardware and operating systems.
Storage, memory, and processor requirements for software and operating systems mandate use of the latest hardware to operate anywhere near efficient levels. Thus, the second result becomes easily recognizable. The number of individuals allowed to interact with the system is often limited due to budget constraints. Staff involved can mean system administrators, database administrators, LAN or WAN specialists, operating and workstation specialists, report writing specialists, and communication specialists. Another immediate result is the costly annual support fee associated with such sophisticated systems.