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

"Our old system used to…"

October 21, 2016

In my experience, when associations make a database system change, staff will sometimes talk about how the old system used to work. […]

80% is good enough – data edition

October 19, 2016

I’ve written elsewhere that 80% is Good Enough when it comes to selecting a new AMS. That is,  if you […]

Just like children, we all need boundaries

October 17, 2016

Recently I was discussing with a client their rules for how they manage event registration. As my client described the […]

"User-friendly" is in the eye of the beholder

October 13, 2016

Just like beauty, the idea of software being “user-friendly” is in the eye of the beholder. Very often when I […]

Use your data to communicate with first-year members differently

October 12, 2016

Long ago, I was a membership director in a couple of different trade associations. And as any membership professional knows, […]

Be sure to schedule training for shortly AFTER go-live.

October 11, 2016

When my clients implement a new AMS, the implementation plan always includes training for staff, so that they know how to […]

Who ARE you?

October 7, 2016

One of my greater pet peeves is company websites that don’t list any contact information. I see this a lot […]

The data is only good if you use it and manage it

October 6, 2016

So very often in my meetings with clients, there will be discussions around the different data points the organization is collecting. […]

"It's like the family dinner"

October 4, 2016

I often recommend to my clients that they have regular meetings among their heaviest database users, to discuss all the issues related […]

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