Blog: Wes’s thoughts, articles, and insights

[ai_chat_window]

My most recent posts

AI is a journey, not a destination

By Wes Trochlil | April 15, 2026

AI is a journey, not a destination Lately I’ve noticed a lot of associations talking about AI like it’s a moon shot. “We need an AI project.” “We’re rolling out AI in Q4.” That language suggests AI is something you implement once and then check off the list. It isn’t. AI is a journey, and […]

Action produces information

By Wes Trochlil | April 8, 2026

Action produces information “Action produces information. If you’re unsure of what to do, just do anything, even if it’s the wrong thing. This will give you information about what you should actually be doing.” – Brian Armstrong, co-founder of Coinbase This is the great thing about data and why I’ve been in this business so long. […]

Why a single source of truth is so beneficial…

By Wes Trochlil | March 25, 2026

Why a single source of truth is so beneficial… The holy grail of data management is the “single source of truth.” As I like to characterize it, when someone asks “Where is the data about X?” everyone knows the answer and everyone gives the SAME answer. One of the most common challenges I hear from my […]

Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should

By Wes Trochlil | March 18, 2026

Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should I’ve worked in and with associations for well over 37 years now. And one of the things I’ve always loved and appreciated about association staffers is their willingness to do whatever is needed to get the job done. But the problem is this “Yes, we can!” attitude can also […]

Data doesn’t need to be perfect to be useful

By Wes Trochlil | March 4, 2026

Data doesn’t need to be perfect to be useful “Your data doesn’t have to be perfect to be useful.” – (Borrowed with permission from Intellidata’s Slice newsletter.) In my experience, many associations hold themselves back from cleaning up their data, because they are overwhelmed with where to start, and they also think success can only be achieved […]

Older Posts

Don't let IT drive your business decisions

December 6, 2007

Let me start by saying I love the guys (and women) in IT. I really do. They are important to […]

No software implementation is perfect

December 4, 2007

I’ve written in the past about seeking success, and not perfection, in your data management systems. The same can be […]

When was the last time you audited your users?

November 30, 2007

I was cleaning up my internet favorites the other day. One of the folders I have within my favorites is […]

Do you know how many sources of data you *really* have?

November 28, 2007

I’ve been working with a client recently on consolidating all of their data into a single data management system. They […]

Backing Up, Part 37 in an infinite series…

November 13, 2007

One of my (many) soapboxes is tryi to get people to back up their data and make sure it’s backed […]

A Great Example of a Users Group

November 8, 2007

All of my clients know that I'm a huge proponent of users groups. I like 'em so much, I actually […]

Quoted on monster.com

November 5, 2007

I’ve written about training in the past (see here). I was also recently quoted on monster.com about how to get […]

The Power of the Users Group (and open source software)

November 1, 2007

James Michael-Hill, Web/Database Manager for the Utilities Telecom Council, posted a note to the Avectra Users Group, explaining how he has […]

More evidence that people want to pay online

October 31, 2007

It would seem this would be self-evident at this point in the game, but in case it's not, here's more […]

Scroll to Top