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 […]

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About This Blog

January 11, 2008

This weblog is focused on the association management system (AMS) software market. The objective of this blog is to provide […]

Establishing a Users Group

January 11, 2008

Anyone who has heard me speak about database management systems knows that I’m a big fan of users groups. One […]

NTEN's CRM Satisfaction Survey is Released

January 7, 2008

I recently received a copy of NTEN’s CRM Satisfaction survey (you can get your own copy here). Here are my […]

Are you *really* listening?

December 13, 2007

Part of my job is to conduct interviews of database users. Another part of my job is to sit in […]

Testing your Training

December 11, 2007

Associations spend a lot of time and money on training (or at least they should). But I wonder if any […]

Don't let IT drive your business decisions

December 6, 2007

Let me start by saying I love the guys (and women) in IT. I really do. They are important to […]

No software implementation is perfect

December 4, 2007

I’ve written in the past about seeking success, and not perfection, in your data management systems. The same can be […]

When was the last time you audited your users?

November 30, 2007

I was cleaning up my internet favorites the other day. One of the folders I have within my favorites is […]

Do you know how many sources of data you *really* have?

November 28, 2007

I’ve been working with a client recently on consolidating all of their data into a single data management system. They […]

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