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

New Article Posted – Four Areas Where Most Associations are Underutilizing Their AMS

May 21, 2012

I’ve posted a new article on my website. When I meet with association management software (AMS) vendors to discuss their products […]

Would you trust a mechanic with decades-old tools?

May 10, 2012

If you have a car that was manufactured in the past ten years and you’ve taken it into the shop, […]

Two New AMS Vendors Added to the List

May 8, 2012

I recently viewed demos from two new AMS vendors (well, new to me), which I’ve added to my list of […]

Kudos to ASAE

April 19, 2012

I’ve served as a volunteer for ASAE for many, many years. (My first volunteer effort was writing an article for […]

How Training Should be Done

March 23, 2012

I’ve written many times about the importance of training. (I’ve even done a teleseminar on it!) And far too often, […]

See the man! – Speaking at NESAE

March 14, 2012

I’ll be speaking at the upcoming New England Society of Association Executives’ Technology Conference on Friday, March 30, 2012, in […]

Beware over-engineering

March 12, 2012

One of the greatest dangers of having access to the latest and greatest technology is over-engineering. That is, searching for […]

New Article Posted – Do They Know What You Offer?

March 5, 2012

I’ve posted a new article on my website. I recently received an email from a past client (and current colleague!) of […]

When training, provide context

February 15, 2012

One of the most important things you can do when training new users in a database is to provide context. […]

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