Blog: Wes’s thoughts, articles, and insights

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My most recent posts

Guardrails can be helpful!

By Wes Trochlil | October 7, 2026

Guardrails can be helpful! When selecting a new AMS, I find my clients are often very tempted by custom software or “platform” systems (e.g., built on Salesforce or MS Dynamics) because these systems are infinitely configurable. After all, if I can make the system do anything I want, that’s a good thing, right? Well, maybe. In […]

“If you knew this information, what might you do differently?”

By Wes Trochlil | September 30, 2026

“If you knew this information, what might you do differently?” I had a conversation with a client recently about developing KPIs, reports, and queries from their forthcoming data warehouse. My client said: “We have a ton of requests for KPIs and reports. How do we determine which to focus on first?” My response: “When someone requests a dashboard […]

Showing is not teaching

By Wes Trochlil | September 23, 2026

Showing is not teaching In my experience, when new staff members are taught how to use their AMS (or LMS, CMS, FMS, etc.) they aren’t really taught how to use the system, they are shown how to use it. So what’s the difference? In a nutshell, showing only covers the “how” and “what.” But teaching […]

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 […]

Older Posts

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 […]

Time-saving gadgets

November 20, 2008

I’m a sucker for time-saving gadgets. Even gadgets I would personally never have need for.  Here’s one described in InformationWeek […]

Do your invoices make it easy to pay?

November 18, 2008

I serve as treasurer for my two sons’ cub scout troop. As part of that responsibility, of course, I need […]

The Five Prerequisites for Implementing Business Intelligence

November 13, 2008

If you’re going to embark on a business intelligence initiative, you ought to have these five items in place before you do. More copy to go here explaining the finer points of Implementing Business Intelligence.

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 […]

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