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

New Article Posted – Skills Required of a Database Manager

February 16, 2011

I’ve posted a new article on my website. Increasingly I’m hearing from my clients that they want to create a […]

Often it's about service, not product

February 10, 2011

Association management software (AMS) has existed for over 20 years, so I think we can fairly say the market has […]

Focus on Outcomes, not Inputs

February 8, 2011

When I work with my clients on selecting a new association management system, one of the first steps we take […]

Are your self-service web pages working?

February 3, 2011

According to research firm Gartner, 65 percent of self-service interactions currently escalate beyond the Web to an agent. In other words, […]

Here's my money, but keep the premium

February 1, 2011

I recently made a donation to my local Boy Scouts of America chapter. In return for my donation (although I […]

New Article Posted – Oh, The Changes I've Seen!

January 21, 2011

I’ve posted a new article on my website. I’ve been working in association management system (AMS) software since 1990. That makes me […]

Make sure you understand TCO (total cost of ownership)

January 20, 2011

On the Edmunds website is a very slick tool that will allow you to calculate the TCO (total cost of […]

Seek Dividends, Not Just Insurance

January 19, 2011

One of the primary services I provide to my clients is helping them select and implement new association management software. […]

Don't Expect EVERYTHING from Your Database

January 18, 2011

I’m working on an RFP for a client for the selection of new association management software system. As I’m working through the list of required functionality, I’m struck by just how much functionality is available

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