Blog: Wes’s thoughts, articles, and insights

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My most recent posts

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 […]

“As good or better than me.”

By Wes Trochlil | September 2, 2026

“As good or better than me.” I was recently speaking with a software developer working on AI and we were discussing using natural language querying in an AMS. I told him, “The biggest challenge you face is that the first time the AI is wrong, staff will never use it again.” He agreed but then added: “The […]

Documentation is insurance

By Wes Trochlil | August 26, 2026

Documentation is insurance In a conversation with a client about their data management needs, the client pointed out that if they lost one or two key staff members, so much institutional knowledge would go with them that the association would have real difficulty managing their AMS. I recommended that they should document all of their key processes so […]

It all comes down to fundamentals

By Wes Trochlil | August 12, 2026

It all comes down to fundamentals I’m preparing for a webinar that I’m presenting in a couple of weeks, on using data to improve marketing and communications. This is a presentation (in one form or another) that I’ve made for nearly 20 years, and it includes an excellent case study of one association that dramatically improved their […]

Older Posts

The Missed Value of a New AMS System

May 31, 2007

When implementing a new AMS (association management system), we typically see all value of the functionality it brings: Things like […]

Your Vote Counts! ASAE Releases Data Standards Draft

May 30, 2007

The ASAE Data Standards Task Force announced the release of a draft standard for expressing constituent records in XML. This […]

Documenting Your Processes

May 29, 2007

I spoke at a users group meeting a few weeks ago, and asked if anyone in the audience had a […]

Do Your Business Rules HINDER Success?

May 28, 2007

I was reading this article about the introduction of IBM's Thinkpad laptop and was struck by these two thoughts: At […]

JL Systems' Users Group Meeting

May 25, 2007

I spent the day at the Users Group meeting for JL Systems last week. JL is introducing a new product, […]

Weeding the Garden and Data Management

May 23, 2007

I was weeding my garden the other day, which is an activity I engage in exactly once per year. As […]

It's About the Money

May 22, 2007

I’m working with a client who has a custom database application to manage their website and database. It’s actually a […]

Some Fascinating Data Management Statistics

May 22, 2007

I had not seen these stats before, but they are striking. From a 2004 Gartner report entitled "CRM Demands Data […]

When your Software is TOO Good

May 21, 2007

I was recently called by a potential client who was looking to move from their existing software to another AMS […]

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