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

Managing Multiple Systems

June 22, 2007

On Wednesday of this week I spoke at ASAE's Marketing & Membership Conference. Another sold-out show for the MMC, which […]

Online Registration

June 18, 2007

On Nick Senzee's blog, he writes about his experience with ASAE's Annual Meeting registration process. Nick raises some good points […]

Tell Me What To Do!

June 15, 2007

You may recall an episode of Seinfeld where Jerry is having his kitchen re-done. Whenever Jerry asks his carpenter what […]

Don't Forget: ASAE's Marketing & Membership Conference

June 14, 2007

I'll be speaking at ASAE's Marketing & Membership Conference in Baltimore next Wednesday, June 20. General information on the conference […]

Issue Tracking

June 13, 2007

As I mention in this post, having an issue tracker is a key tool for managing all the different issues […]

Wilfing? "Now where was I…?"

June 11, 2007

Came across this article in PC Magazine discussing "wilfing," a term coined by the British marketing research firm YouGov, short […]

Is Your Customer Service Really That Good?

June 8, 2007

A recent survey by Accenture found that the level of customer service that companies think they are providing their customers […]

To Aptify's Credit…

June 7, 2007

I received a call from them today regarding this post. They assured me that all of their emails are quality-checked […]

This Doesn't Inspire Confidence

June 7, 2007

I received an email from Aptify inviting me to attend an upcoming demonstration. I clicked on the link provided and […]

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