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

Even Forrester Research Agrees with Me

September 10, 2007

Forrester Research is an independent technology and market research company. Forrester recently released a list of its CRM “best practices.” […]

Focus on the Real Objectives

September 6, 2007

Recently my wife and I went out of town and left our four kids with a babysitter for the weekend. […]

Micro-managing Kills Initiative

September 5, 2007

Why aren't more of your staff comfortable with working in your association's database? One reason may be micro-management. I've been […]

Modeling Behavior

August 31, 2007

The other day my two-year old daughter and I walked to our mailbox to mail a letter. The mailbox is […]

You gotta have a back up plan

August 30, 2007

No, I’m not talking about data back up this time. I’m talking about having a back up plan for how […]

Is there any information here?

August 29, 2007

Recently while driving along the GW Parkway (just outside DC) I came upon an electronic road sign (you know, the […]

New Technology Requires Additional Attention

August 28, 2007

One of the more common mistakes I see is organizations assuming that they can add new technology without considering what […]

Why You Should Have a Test Environment

August 27, 2007

Many years ago while working as an association staffer, I was trying to kill some time on a Friday afternoon. […]

It's a Process, Not an Event

August 24, 2007

“So when we get our new database we’ll be done, right?” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard […]

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