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

You don’t have to automate EVERYTHING to be successful

January 25, 2024

You don’t have to automate EVERYTHING to be successful I was discussing a data management process with a client recently. […]

Technology won’t solve your process problems

January 17, 2024

Technology won’t solve your process problems Over the past few years I’ve watched as many more associations have taken to […]

“Screen noise” is a real thing. You might be able to fix it.

January 10, 2024

“Screen noise” is a real thing. You might be able to fix it. One of the most common complaints I […]

Success Starts at the Top

December 20, 2023

Success Starts at the Top I recently had a conversation with an association staffer who was asking for ideas on how […]

Who are you bringing along?

December 13, 2023

Who are you bringing along? Last week I had the opportunity to attend the AWTC Advance, an in-person event sponsored by […]

Write it down!

December 6, 2023

Write it down! If you’re in the market for a new AMS (or any new technology that has a breadth […]

Why “weeding the garden” is so important

November 30, 2023

Why “weeding the garden” is so important One of the most important activities for maintaining quality data in your database is […]

It’s time to stop excusing association professionals

November 15, 2023

It’s time to stop excusing association professionals I worked in associations for nearly 10 years, and have worked with associations […]

More demos is not better

November 8, 2023

More demos is not better When I work with clients on selecting a new system, I try very hard to […]

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