Some solutions to the searching and matching requirements of such systems require skilled investigators who know when and how to vary a search or change the search data to cause the system to work more successfully. Boolean based and wild-card searches are an example of these.

A far better solution uses automated search strategies that satisfy all permutations and variations of the search. . . the real solution needs to be designed to find all the candidates regardless of the way the search data was entered, regardless of the quality of the data stored in the database, and regardless of the experience of the user.

Such search strategies must of course provide real-time searching of all name and identity data. On-line usage must satisfy the officer’s or investigator’s need for fast response without any loss of quality of search.

While diligent investigators can use sophisticated search tools well, it is not possible for the average user to spend day after day simply browsing historical data and do a good job selecting candidate matches; even the diligent user can get ineffectual at the job if it is a continuous activity.

To better automate the searching, matching and linking process, it is necessary that computer systems are designed to "mimic" the very best users when choosing amongst the possible matches. In the same way as human operators use names, addresses, dates, identity numbers and other data, the system must be able to use matching algorithms that effectively rank, score or eliminate the candidates.