Blog: Wes’s thoughts, articles, and insights

[ai_chat_window]

My most recent posts

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 […]

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 […]

Older Posts

Don't Miss Snowtech 2010

February 24, 2010

The ASAE Tech Conference was snowed out, but you can still see the session I was going to present. I’m […]

Take our Snowpocolypse Survey

February 22, 2010

David Gammel of High Context Consulting and I are fielding a survey, The Snowpocalypse Operations Survey, to assess how the repeated […]

Two New Articles Posted

February 17, 2010

Two new articles have been posted to my website. The first is The Untapped Sources of Business Intelligence. For many […]

Interesting results in NTEN Data Ecosystem Survey

February 16, 2010

NTEN (the Nonprofit Technology Network) just released the results of their Data Ecosystem Survey. As they explain on their website: The […]

What everyone should know about "percentages"

February 2, 2010

I admit I’m a data freak. I loves me some good stats. But one has to be very careful when […]

Oh, the changes I've seen…

January 28, 2010

The end of 2009 marked the end of my first decade as a consultant. In that time I’ve consulted with […]

Don't miss ASAE's Technology Conference in February

January 27, 2010

ASAE’s Annual Technology Conference is February 10-12, 2010, at the Walter E Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC. You can […]

Less work now means more work later

January 26, 2010

Very often I learn my clients are managing data in a way that is “easier” for now, but winds up […]

Another great idea from an AMS vendor

January 8, 2010

I like to give props to association management software (AMS) vendors when they do something really smart. Here’s another great […]

Scroll to Top