Blog: Wes’s thoughts, articles, and insights

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My most recent posts

Why bother with a consultant when I have AI?

By Wes Trochlil | October 14, 2026

Why bother with a consultant when I have AI? As AI becomes increasingly powerful, the value of using an AMS selection consultant (and many other types of consultants!) starts to come into question. After all, with very well-constructed prompts and responses, an association could develop a very solid needs analysis and RFP that could be used to […]

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 […]

Older Posts

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 […]

Needs change over time, and that’s OK

February 15, 2023

Needs change over time, and that’s OK I was speaking with a couple of association executives recently about their desire […]

The vaguer the question, the vaguer the answer

February 9, 2023

The vaguer the question, the vaguer the answer As the old saying goes, the devil is in the details. Which […]

The best choice given the information you have

February 2, 2023

The best choice given the information you have “Hindsight is 20/20” is a cliché because, like most clichés, it’s true. […]

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