Blog: Wes’s thoughts, articles, and insights

[ai_chat_window]

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 Wisdom of Drucker

May 29, 2008

My favorite quote from Peter Drucker comes from The Effective Executive (written over 40 years ago!!). On page 5, Drucker […]

Speaking for ASAE in Baltimore

May 22, 2008

Don’t forget, I’ll be speaking at the ASAE Marketing and Membership Conference next Thursday, May 29, from 2.15-3.30, on how […]

This gave me a chuckle

May 20, 2008

I came across this in a business magazine. It seems Microsoft (and other companies) are producing children’s books to promote […]

Perform a six-month and one-year audit

May 15, 2008

Selection and implementation of a new association management system is an incredibly trying process. If done well, at the end […]

Consider "Touch Points"

May 13, 2008

I’m frequently asked by clients to review their business processes. That is, to look at how they process information throughout […]

Bad Data Destroys Value

May 8, 2008

I recently had the opportunity to sit in on a CRM session presented by Paul K. Ward. One of the […]

Trying to get more from tech training?

May 6, 2008

Here's a good article on technical training. Included in the article is the following brilliant observation: “Block out time immediately […]

Your comments are needed!

May 1, 2008

As you can see at this link, the ASAE Data Standards Committee has released a preliminary set of standards for […]

If you like these posts, you should read the articles!

April 29, 2008

Don’t forget, in addition to these great posts, I also post new articles to my website once a month or […]

Scroll to Top