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

New Article Posted: Seven Things You Should Do in Your AMS

July 20, 2017

Given how advanced and thorough the modern association management software (AMS) system has become, there are many opportunities for your […]

Significant change in CASL Law

July 13, 2017

CASL is the Canadian Anti-spam Law, which was passed several years ago, and is now in full effect in Canada. […]

Beware: Small things can add up to big time suckers…

July 10, 2017

When I work with clients, one thing I focus on is process. How is data managed within the organization? What […]

Four Elements of Data: Volume, velocity, variety, and veracity

July 7, 2017

I don’t remember where I first read this, but I love this description of the four elements of data. Volume, […]

Things you WANT to hear about your database

July 5, 2017

I was speaking at an ASAE event recently and ran into a woman I had worked with at a past […]

Implied Interest and your database

June 30, 2017

I don’t recall where I first heard the term, but I’ve been using the concept of “implied interest” since back […]

Is data an afterthought at your organization?

June 28, 2017

I was working with a client recently and discussing how data is currently managed in their organization. During the course […]

Before choosing a new AMS vendor, ask yourself THIS question…

June 26, 2017

Before you sign up with a new AMS vendor, ask yourself this question: “Can I spend the next 7-10 years […]

Don't let the exception drive the rule

June 23, 2017

I’ve written many times about managing exceptions and being careful not to design rules around exceptions. As a general rule […]

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