Blog: Wes’s thoughts, articles, and insights

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My most recent posts

Why bother with a consultant when I have AI?

By Wes Trochlil | October 14, 2026

Why bother with a consultant when I have AI? As AI becomes increasingly powerful, the value of using an AMS selection consultant (and many other types of consultants!) starts to come into question. After all, with very well-constructed prompts and responses, an association could develop a very solid needs analysis and RFP that could be used to […]

Guardrails can be helpful!

By Wes Trochlil | October 7, 2026

Guardrails can be helpful! When selecting a new AMS, I find my clients are often very tempted by custom software or “platform” systems (e.g., built on Salesforce or MS Dynamics) because these systems are infinitely configurable. After all, if I can make the system do anything I want, that’s a good thing, right? Well, maybe. In […]

“If you knew this information, what might you do differently?”

By Wes Trochlil | September 30, 2026

“If you knew this information, what might you do differently?” I had a conversation with a client recently about developing KPIs, reports, and queries from their forthcoming data warehouse. My client said: “We have a ton of requests for KPIs and reports. How do we determine which to focus on first?” My response: “When someone requests a dashboard […]

Showing is not teaching

By Wes Trochlil | September 23, 2026

Showing is not teaching In my experience, when new staff members are taught how to use their AMS (or LMS, CMS, FMS, etc.) they aren’t really taught how to use the system, they are shown how to use it. So what’s the difference? In a nutshell, showing only covers the “how” and “what.” But teaching […]

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 […]

Older Posts

New Article Posted – Case Study: Custom Software vs Off-the-Shelf

July 19, 2010

A new article has been posted to my website. I’ve written in the past about why associations should avoid creating their […]

New Article Posted – Three Steps to Ensure Switching Systems Doesn't Slow You Down

June 17, 2010

A new article has been posted to my website. For many associations, making the change to a new database is not […]

A New Blog You Should be Reading

June 15, 2010

My client and colleague Dave Martin of the Electronic Retailing Association has just launched a new blog called the Dirty […]

Working in a homegrown system is malpractice

June 8, 2010

Yes, that’s harsh, but more and more it’s true. I’ve written before about how associations should not be in the […]

Tracking Volunteers and Form 990

June 4, 2010

At many of my recent talks, I’ve been discussing the importance of tracking and managing volunteers. Volunteerism is THE distinguishing […]

There is no single "correct" solution to any problem

June 3, 2010

And that’s why there are so many association management system (AMS) options available. Quite often I’m asked by potential clients […]

EDM Forges Partnership with Florida SAE

June 2, 2010

I’m pleased to announce that I’ve entered into a partnership with the Florida Society of Association Executives (FSAE) to offer […]

Observations from Protech Fusion Users Conference

May 27, 2010

Last week I had the opportunity to speak at the Protech 2010 Fusion Users Conference in Washington, DC. I also got […]

Simplifying Your Processes Means Limiting Your Inputs – New Article Posted

May 20, 2010

UPDATE: Title of blog post fixed A new article has been posted to my website. Decreased online registrations. High levels […]

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