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

Discipline

January 6, 2009

Perhaps it goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: long-term success with your database requires good discipline. When I […]

Happy Holidays!

December 22, 2008

Happy holidays to everyone over the coming weeks. I’m taking a break over the holidays to spend time with my […]

Information Management Trends for 2009

December 18, 2008

In the December issue of Database Trends and Applications (sorry, not online yet), DBTA outlines the “15 Top Information Management […]

Associations Now on Business Intelligence

December 16, 2008

Here’s another really good article on business intelligence in the association market, from ASAE’s magazine, Associations Now. I know it’s […]

First Wikis, now Twitter

December 11, 2008

A while back I gave kudos to Avectra for creating the first wiki in the AMS space. Now I’ve recently […]

Don't Forget to Register for the 2009 ASAE Technology Conference

December 9, 2008

The 2009 ASAE Technology Conference is less than six weeks away! Have you registered yet?  Having recently received the program […]

The Times they are a Changin'

December 4, 2008

In the past several months there have been two changes at the CEO level for major AMS vendors. The first […]

Tech Staff Don't Need Tech Skills

December 2, 2008

Or so says a recent study by the Society for Information Management. They asked CIOS to list the skills they […]

The power of documentation

November 25, 2008

I’ve been working with a client recently on reviewing and reengineering how they process data within their organization (business process […]

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