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

Don't let the process slow you down from getting results

April 2, 2015

I’m a process consultant so I love process. But when you work on any project, it’s important to keep the […]

Additional benefits of selecting a new AMS

March 31, 2015

When I help my clients through the process of selecting  a new association management system, they also get the benefit […]

It's about ACTION

March 30, 2015

Long ago, I defined business intelligence as a business process using data to make decisions. The key to the definition […]

“You can always add, but you can’t take away”

March 27, 2015

When discussing how much access staff users should have to the database and its functionality, I always tell my client […]

Yes! Make it easier to join!

March 26, 2015

I was very pleased to read this recent article in Associations Now by Joe Rominiecki about the Society of Hospital […]

Seek first to understand

March 25, 2015

One of the most important skills I’ve learned in my 15 years as a consultant is the ability to listen. […]

Re-keying data is never acceptable

March 23, 2015

One of my data management commandments is that data should never have to be re-keyed. That is, once data has […]

How far we’ve come

March 20, 2015

I’ve written before about the amazing advances in technology that I’ve seen in my lifetime (and I like to think […]

Get a Systems Tune Up

March 19, 2015

One of the more important services I provide my clients is what I call a systems audit. The purpose of […]

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