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

And speaking of backing up your data…

March 18, 2008

Yet another reason you want to be sure your backups are working… Disgruntled Employee Deletes Company's Files   (Hat tip, […]

Business Intelligence Survey Results

March 13, 2008

I recently conducted an unscientific survey of association executives, asking them what their plans are for business intelligence. Of the […]

User Adoption is a Problem Everywhere

March 11, 2008

Listening to a podcast from Voices of CRM recently, I was not surprised to learn that the number one problem […]

Learning New Systems Take Time

March 6, 2008

Just a few weeks ago, after more than 20 years as a PC user, I switched to Mac. I'd like […]

"Where is that data?"

March 4, 2008

Those who know me know I'm a huge advocate of centralized data management systems. By that I mean a database […]

"Why don't you just tell me which system to buy?"

February 28, 2008

Clients will sometimes say to me: "Can't you just tell me what the best association management system is so that […]

Establishing Priorities

February 26, 2008

When converting to a new data management system, you are faced with many decisions regarding priorities. There is so much […]

Not every decision made will be correct

February 21, 2008

When working with associations on implementation of their databases, there are points throughout the process where we will have to […]

SIIA Release Survey on Social Media

February 19, 2008

The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) has released a survey of how businesses are using social media. The contents […]

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