Blog: Wes’s thoughts, articles, and insights

My most recent posts

Painting the Bridge

By Wes Trochlil | May 24, 2023

Painting the Bridge According to this article, the Golden Gate Bridge is painted continuously year-round. That is, rather than painting the entire bridge once per year (or every couple of years), “painting the Bridge is an ongoing task and a primary maintenance job.” This, of course, reminds me of data management. Data management is not a “once …

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Maintenance isn’t sexy

By Wes Trochlil | May 17, 2023

Maintenance isn’t sexy I remember reading once long ago that one of the reasons our country’s infrastructure (e.g., bridges, roads) isn’t as well-maintained as it could be is because maintenance isn’t “sexy.” When it comes to choosing between maintaining and/or fixing the current infrastructure versus building new roads and bridges, new always wins out. Maintenance …

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“Will I still have a job when this is done?”

By Wes Trochlil | May 10, 2023

“Will I still have a job when this is done? While working with a client on a new AMS implementation recently, the executive director told me she was surprised to hear her staff ask: “With all the improvements and automation that the new AMS brings, will I still have a job?” I’ve been at this …

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Evolution, not revolution

By Wes Trochlil | May 3, 2023

Evolution, not revolution I don’t recall where I first heard it many decades ago, but the phrase “evolution, not revolution” always struck me as one key to understanding how data management really works. (I heard the phrase in relation to something else but naturally I found a fit for data management!) It’s really quite simple: When it …

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The power of the users’ group

By Wes Trochlil | April 26, 2023

The power of the users’ group Recently in an online users group forum for an AMS provider, a poster asked a question about a fairly complex topic. The poster received multiple replies that pointed her toward a solution. She then posted: “Thank you everyone for the insights. I know why I rely more on this …

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Older Posts

Action isn’t the same as progress

January 25, 2023

Action isn’t the same as progress I’ve written before that not taking action is an acceptable response to a question. …

Action isn’t the same as progress Read More »

Start with the end in mind

January 18, 2023

Start with the end in mind Like so many, I probably first heard the phrase “Begin with the end in …

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It’s quiet in here…maybe TOO quiet…

January 11, 2023

It’s quiet in here…maybe TOO quiet… One of the truisms of data management is that there is no stasis; either …

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It’s ALWAYS about expectations

January 4, 2023

It’s ALWAYS about expectations The headline reads: “Tesla sets record for vehicle deliveries, an increase of 40% over a year …

It’s ALWAYS about expectations Read More »

It’s hard to get UNangry

December 14, 2022

It’s hard to get UNangry I often emphasize to my clients the importance of testing and training. When a new …

It’s hard to get UNangry Read More »

Some history IS important!

December 7, 2022

Some history IS important! When I’m advising clients on data conversion (moving data from one system to another) my advice …

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“Many mickles make a muckle.”

November 30, 2022

“Many mickles make a muckle.” “Many mickles make a muckle.” – George Washington Apparently, this was an old Scottish saying (and …

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It’s easy to collect; it’s harder to manage

November 16, 2022

It’s easy to collect; it’s harder to manage The beauty of today’s highly configurable AMS products is that they make …

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Tell them why you want the data

November 9, 2022

Tell them why you want the data Because data is so easy to collect these days, there’s a tendency to …

Tell them why you want the data Read More »

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