Blog: Wes’s thoughts, articles, and insights

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My most recent posts

Improvement is never linear

By Wes Trochlil | June 10, 2026

Improvement is never linear One of the many lessons one learns over a lifetime is that improvement, regardless of what you’re trying to improve, is never linear. That is, you’ll always have days where you’re better, and days where you don’t improve, or maybe even fall back. And so it is with data management. Even if you […]

Don’t forget to take a “before” picture!

By Wes Trochlil | June 3, 2026

Don’t forget to take a “before” picture! Whenever I start on a big home clean up or renovation project, I like to take a “before” picture, so that I can see the progress that was made when the project is complete. (Ironically, even though I’m the son of an award-winning amateur photographer, I often forget […]

Are you being penny wise and pound foolish?

By Wes Trochlil | May 27, 2026

Are you being penny wise and pound foolish? Two quick customer service stories to illustrate a point: First story: I’ve used the same email provider for more than 20 years. But for technical reasons, recently I needed to switch providers, so I canceled my service with them a few weeks in advance of my renewal. […]

AMS Products are getting better – and what that means for you

By Wes Trochlil | May 20, 2026

AMS Products are getting better – and what that means for you I’ve been working in and with AMS products for 36 years (27 years of consulting, nine years as an association staffer). And I can say with great confidence that the systems available today are much better than they were 36 years ago! (Shocking, I know.) But […]

Using AI beyond content generation

By Wes Trochlil | May 13, 2026

Using AI beyond content generation Recent surveys by ASAE and others suggest nearly 90% of associations are using AI for some type of content generation (e.g., creating blog posts, newsletter articles, “canned” responses to inquiries, etc.). That is great, but when it comes to data management, there are so many more opportunities for leveraging AI. Here are some ideas […]

Older Posts

It's all about expectations

May 9, 2019

A couple of weeks ago I had to go to the DMV to turn in some license plates and possibly […]

Rhythm Software Enters the Fray…

May 3, 2019

I was pleasantly surprised to learn this week that Andrew Ryan and Jim Catts, formerly of MemberSuite, have co-founded a […]

How I learned to love GDPR…

May 2, 2019

This month (May 2019) will bring the one year anniversary of GDPR. I was NOT a huge fan of GDPR […]

How transparent are you?

April 25, 2019

When I work with clients, I’ll often use their website to find general information about the association, such as listings of […]

Does your AMS support your mission?

April 18, 2019

Have you ever consciously considered how your AMS is supporting your organization’s mission? You should, and it should. Part of the […]

Be Aware of Indirect Costs

April 11, 2019

When considering the costs of your current data management system(s), you need to consider both direct costs (how much you […]

Testing and Clear Objectives are Critical

April 3, 2019

I’m always fascinated by stories like this. In a nutshell, the state of Minnesota spent nearly $100 million for a […]

Clean as you go

March 28, 2019

Clean As You Go A good cook or baker knows that, when working in the kitchen, you clean as you […]

Baby Steps

March 21, 2019

One of the keys to developing good data management habits is to be aware of biting off more than you […]

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