Blog: Wes’s thoughts, articles, and insights

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My most recent posts

AI is a journey, not a destination

By Wes Trochlil | April 15, 2026

AI is a journey, not a destination Lately I’ve noticed a lot of associations talking about AI like it’s a moon shot. “We need an AI project.” “We’re rolling out AI in Q4.” That language suggests AI is something you implement once and then check off the list. It isn’t. AI is a journey, and […]

Action produces information

By Wes Trochlil | April 8, 2026

Action produces information “Action produces information. If you’re unsure of what to do, just do anything, even if it’s the wrong thing. This will give you information about what you should actually be doing.” – Brian Armstrong, co-founder of Coinbase This is the great thing about data and why I’ve been in this business so long. […]

Why a single source of truth is so beneficial…

By Wes Trochlil | March 25, 2026

Why a single source of truth is so beneficial… The holy grail of data management is the “single source of truth.” As I like to characterize it, when someone asks “Where is the data about X?” everyone knows the answer and everyone gives the SAME answer. One of the most common challenges I hear from my […]

Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should

By Wes Trochlil | March 18, 2026

Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should I’ve worked in and with associations for well over 37 years now. And one of the things I’ve always loved and appreciated about association staffers is their willingness to do whatever is needed to get the job done. But the problem is this “Yes, we can!” attitude can also […]

Data doesn’t need to be perfect to be useful

By Wes Trochlil | March 4, 2026

Data doesn’t need to be perfect to be useful “Your data doesn’t have to be perfect to be useful.” – (Borrowed with permission from Intellidata’s Slice newsletter.) In my experience, many associations hold themselves back from cleaning up their data, because they are overwhelmed with where to start, and they also think success can only be achieved […]

Older Posts

Who is your data evangelist?

April 19, 2023

Who is your data evangelist? I was recently talking with a client of mine about a new position they are […]

Ratio of Data to Errors

April 12, 2023

Ratio of Data to Errors One of the elements of a good data governance plan is establishing data quality metrics. […]

Back to basics

April 5, 2023

Back to basics Over the past couple of years I’ve noticed that some AMS vendors are adding in more sophisticated […]

Your people matter

March 29, 2023

Your people matter I’ve written many times about how people, process, and technology have to work together in order to […]

We remember moments…

March 22, 2023

We remember moments… “We do not remember days, we remember moments.” – Cesare Pavese Another way of looking at this […]

Acknowledging problems is part of managing expectations

March 15, 2023

Acknowledging problems is part of managing expectations Research was done some time ago that suggested that the best way for […]

Need data? Consider third-party sources

March 8, 2023

Need data? Consider third-party sources I always tell my clients, only collect data that you’re actually going to use. A […]

Action must follow the decision

March 1, 2023

Action must follow the decision When I work with my clients on their projects (whether system selection, system implementation, or […]

Everything should be focused on improving user adoption

February 22, 2023

Everything should be focused on improving user adoption Your AMS is a tool, and a tool is only as good […]

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