Blog: Wes’s thoughts, articles, and insights

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My most recent posts

Improvement is never linear

By Wes Trochlil | June 10, 2026

Improvement is never linear One of the many lessons one learns over a lifetime is that improvement, regardless of what you’re trying to improve, is never linear. That is, you’ll always have days where you’re better, and days where you don’t improve, or maybe even fall back. And so it is with data management. Even if you […]

Don’t forget to take a “before” picture!

By Wes Trochlil | June 3, 2026

Don’t forget to take a “before” picture! Whenever I start on a big home clean up or renovation project, I like to take a “before” picture, so that I can see the progress that was made when the project is complete. (Ironically, even though I’m the son of an award-winning amateur photographer, I often forget […]

Are you being penny wise and pound foolish?

By Wes Trochlil | May 27, 2026

Are you being penny wise and pound foolish? Two quick customer service stories to illustrate a point: First story: I’ve used the same email provider for more than 20 years. But for technical reasons, recently I needed to switch providers, so I canceled my service with them a few weeks in advance of my renewal. […]

AMS Products are getting better – and what that means for you

By Wes Trochlil | May 20, 2026

AMS Products are getting better – and what that means for you I’ve been working in and with AMS products for 36 years (27 years of consulting, nine years as an association staffer). And I can say with great confidence that the systems available today are much better than they were 36 years ago! (Shocking, I know.) But […]

Using AI beyond content generation

By Wes Trochlil | May 13, 2026

Using AI beyond content generation Recent surveys by ASAE and others suggest nearly 90% of associations are using AI for some type of content generation (e.g., creating blog posts, newsletter articles, “canned” responses to inquiries, etc.). That is great, but when it comes to data management, there are so many more opportunities for leveraging AI. Here are some ideas […]

Older Posts

My Greatest Pet Peeve

November 11, 2008

One of my least favorite questions on the ASAE listserver is when an association membership professional says something to the […]

Business Intelligence Defined

November 5, 2008

Here’s a brief podcast (about three minutes) on my definition of business intelligence.

Why database PR is so critical

October 30, 2008

I’ve written in the past about the need for conducting a public relations campaign for your database. You can read […]

Why is Google so easy and my database so hard?

October 28, 2008

Did you ever notice that it’s easier to find information simply using Google than it is to find information in […]

New Article Posted

October 23, 2008

I’ve posted a new article on my website, entitled “Healthcare and Your Database.” Of course, if you’re already on my […]

Seeking input on a research study

October 22, 2008

I’m working on a research project to identify the factors that contribute most to the long-term success of an association […]

Trochlil on Business Intelligence

October 16, 2008

I spoke recently for the Association Forum of Chicagoland on Business Intelligence. Afterwords I sat for a short interview on […]

The Financial Crisis and Your Database

October 14, 2008

As I watch the world financial crisis unfold, one contributing factor that has arisen is that there is a “lack […]

Efficiency vs. Effectiveness

October 9, 2008

When discussing data management issues with clients I often hear “We want to be more efficient.” Of course, we all […]

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