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

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 […]

TWO New Articles Posted

January 24, 2013

I’ve posted two new articles on my website. The first is Your “Marriage” with your AMS Vendor, which outlines how your […]

Are you (really) thanking your donors?

January 23, 2013

At the end of this past year I made donations to four charitable organizations. While the donations were not the […]

Best Practices in Association Technology from TMA Resources

January 22, 2013

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out TMA Resources’ video series, Best Practices in Association Technology, featuring some […]

Of data, big and small

January 16, 2013

Two interesting articles on big data have come across my transom in the past few days, and I wanted to […]

New things on my website

December 11, 2012

I’ve made some minor but significant changes to my website. You can now find all of my videos on this […]

Merger Announcement

December 4, 2012

I just received an email from Bill Stover, CEO & President of YourMembership, announcing the  merger of YourMembership and Affiniscape. […]

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