Blog: Wes’s thoughts, articles, and insights

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My most recent posts

Data management is improvisation

By Wes Trochlil | September 16, 2026

Data management is improvisation I was listening to a podcast recently featuring TV writer Rob Long. During the podcast he said (I’m paraphrasing) that, in order to be successful, one needs to learn to improvise, because nothing in life ever goes as planned. One of my favorite sayings is, “If you want to make God […]

Who own the AMS company is like the weather…

By Wes Trochlil | September 9, 2026

Who own the AMS company is like the weather… When I work with clients to find a new AMS, one of the most common questions I get is: “Is the software company owned by private equity or is it privately owned?” While I think this is a legitimate question to ask and have answered, it […]

“As good or better than me.”

By Wes Trochlil | September 2, 2026

“As good or better than me.” I was recently speaking with a software developer working on AI and we were discussing using natural language querying in an AMS. I told him, “The biggest challenge you face is that the first time the AI is wrong, staff will never use it again.” He agreed but then added: “The […]

Documentation is insurance

By Wes Trochlil | August 26, 2026

Documentation is insurance In a conversation with a client about their data management needs, the client pointed out that if they lost one or two key staff members, so much institutional knowledge would go with them that the association would have real difficulty managing their AMS. I recommended that they should document all of their key processes so […]

It all comes down to fundamentals

By Wes Trochlil | August 12, 2026

It all comes down to fundamentals I’m preparing for a webinar that I’m presenting in a couple of weeks, on using data to improve marketing and communications. This is a presentation (in one form or another) that I’ve made for nearly 20 years, and it includes an excellent case study of one association that dramatically improved their […]

Older Posts

When Vendors Go Bad

March 10, 2009

Last week while speaking at the Canadian Society of Association Executives, I had ocassion to meet two women from an […]

Reminder: Teleseminar on Training

February 26, 2009

There is still time to register for my upcoming teleseminar on database training, March 5, 2009, from noon to 10pm […]

Blindly Sending RFPs

February 24, 2009

I sometimes receive RFPs from associations actually looking for association management software (which I do not produce). If you’ve ever […]

NTEN is Looking for Your Help

February 20, 2009

The Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN) is a great resource for, well, technology in the nonprofit sector. If you’re not familiar […]

InformationWeek Survey has Surprising Results

February 17, 2009

In the January 26, 2009, issue of InformationWeek magazine, the cover story is about “vendor satisfaction.” They surveyed some 345 […]

Calculate the total cost of training

February 13, 2009

Too often when we calculate training costs, we only consider the direct costs, e.g., trainer’s fee, room rental, food, a/v […]

Interview with Thomas Howard of memberclicks

February 12, 2009

This is the seventh in a series of podcast interviews that I’ve been conducting with CEOs from providers of association […]

Interview with Amith Nagarajan of Aptify

February 6, 2009

This is the sixth in a series of podcast interviews that I’ve been conducting with CEOs from providers of association […]

Just how important is your AMS?

February 3, 2009

It would seem, according to this recent article in Associations Now, that a properly functioning association management system is critical […]

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