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

Sunlight is the best disinfectant

March 28, 2014

This phrase is often used in the political arena. It means that the best way to root out corruption is […]

Are you deluging your members with email?

March 27, 2014

Here’s Tony Rosell, one of the brilliant minds at Marketing General, in a tweet about how associations are using email: […]

The rise of the "Chief Data Officer"

March 25, 2014

Here’s an interesting article from IBM on the rise of the Chief Data Officer position within Fortune 500 companies. This […]

"Are we the worst you’ve ever seen?"

March 24, 2014

This is not an uncommon question for me to hear from my new clients. As we start digging into how […]

What's a Director of Data Integrity? – Interview with Chris Dugmore

March 20, 2014

Chris Dugmore is the Director, Data Integrity, for the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. When I first […]

New Article Posted – The Seven Deadly Sins of Database Management

March 18, 2014

I’ve posted a new article on my website. In Christianity there is a commonly known list of “seven deadly sins,” which […]

If you're wondering, just ask

March 13, 2014

As a sort of corollary to my recent post on seeking to understand, I marvel at how often people fail […]

Seek first to understand

March 12, 2014

I sit in a lot of meetings with my clients. These could be meetings where I’m interviewing them, or they […]

Observations at AUDC – Part 4

March 11, 2014

And a final note on the AUDC. This 10th annual event is its last, in this iteration. With the acuisition […]

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