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

More Best Practices: Creating and Executing Exception Reports

February 26, 2013

Here’s a quick (under three minutes) video from me, via TMA Resources, on creating and executing exception reports.

Too many choices? That's why you need a consultant

February 13, 2013

In the book “Switch” by Chip and Dan Heath, they tell the story of a jam sale conducted by gourmet […]

Everything takes longer than you think it will (especially hiring!)

February 11, 2013

I am, admittedly, an incredibly impatient person. It’s one of the reasons I LOVE the internet; instant gratification. I can […]

Why transactional databases don't make good data warehouses

February 8, 2013

Very often I’m asked by my clients: “Why can’t I get a report out of my database comparing year-to-year data […]

Either you'll test it, or your customers will

February 6, 2013

During the implementation phase of a new association management system, one of the most critical phases is the testing phase. […]

How NOT to apologize…

February 5, 2013

We all make mistakes in our work. As the old saying goes, it’s not the mistakes you make, it’s how […]

Did you expect them to just KNOW how to do it?

February 4, 2013

I was once on a tour of a plant where conveyor belts were being manufactured. I noticed that one of […]

All choices involve trade-offs

February 1, 2013

The economist and political writer Thomas Sowell once wrote: “There are no solutions, only trade-offs.” What Sowell means, of course, […]

Update on YourMembership and Affiniscape

January 25, 2013

I reported recently on the merger of YourMembership and Affiniscape. The new company name is YourMembership, and not surprisingly, YourMembership has […]

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