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

If it’s not in your AMS, why not?

November 6, 2024

If it’s not in your AMS, why not? I like to tell my clients they’ll know they’ve reached data management […]

Why checkboxes and tags are awesome and dangerous

October 30, 2024

Why checkboxes and tags are awesome and dangerous One of the most common functions in an AMS is the concept […]

Don’t miss obvious engagement data

October 23, 2024

Don’t miss obvious engagement data What I’ve experienced with my clients over the years is that too many associations are […]

All data requires active management

October 16, 2024

All data requires active management It’s a simple fact of data management that is often overlooked: Any data that is […]

Documentation is critical for consistency

October 9, 2024

Documentation is critical for consistency There are so many reasons why documenting your data management processes are so critical to […]

Consumer demands change and technology changes

October 2, 2024

Consumer demands change and technology changes When I work with clients on the selection of a new AMS, I’ll often […]

Why I write

September 25, 2024

Why I write Thirty years ago, I started a new job as director of membership for a small trade association. It […]

DAN – The Data Analytics Network

September 18, 2024

DAN – The Data Analytics Network I’m a huge fan of users groups (both internal and external!). After all, users […]

Process before technology

September 11, 2024

Process before technology In a conversation with a client recently, I was reminded (yet again) of how important people and […]

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