Blog: Wes’s thoughts, articles, and insights

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My most recent posts

Blog post themes over 20 years…

By Wes Trochlil | August 5, 2026

Blog post themes over 20 years… I’ve been writing blog posts for nearly 20 years now. WordPress tells me I’ve written over 1,200 posts. So I asked AI to analyze my 1,200+ posts and give me my top three themes. Here’s what it came up with: Data management and data quality – these posts emphasize that data management is […]

Lots of feedback is a GOOD thing!

By Wes Trochlil | July 29, 2026

Lots of feedback is a GOOD thing! A client in the middle of their AMS implementation said to me: “I’m getting a LOT of feedback from staff about what the system can and cannot do. Is that good or bad?” My response: “Feedback means they’re actually in the system and using it! That’s a good […]

Doing the reps…

By Wes Trochlil | July 22, 2026

Doing the reps… I’m helping a client with the implementation of a new AMS. During a recent call, their internal project manager said “I’m still not as familiar with the system as I’d like to be. I need to get in there more often and play around.” I responded: “That’s exactly right. I suggest you […]

Add one, remove one

By Wes Trochlil | July 15, 2026

Add one, remove one In the world of home-organizing, there’s the “one in, one out” rule. Simply put, for every new item that enters your home, one similar item must leave, helping to maintain a constant level of possessions and prevent clutter accumulation. This would be a great rule for database managers when considering adding new fields […]

Spring cleaning, all year long

By Wes Trochlil | July 8, 2026

Spring cleaning, all year long I talk frequently about “weeding the garden,” the idea that proactively managing your data, consistently, over time, is a better practice than trying to clean up the data in one big effort once every couple of years. But beyond the data itself, weeding the garden should also include making sure all […]

Older Posts

The three “buckets” of contact data

October 8, 2025

The three “buckets” of contact data Broadly speaking, when collecting data on contacts (individuals or organizations), there are three “buckets” of […]

Balancing what is possible with what is realistic

October 1, 2025

Balancing what is possible with what is realistic When I work with clients on technology projects, I’ll tell them “These […]

“Humans want to be surrounded by beauty.”

September 24, 2025

“Humans want to be surrounded by beauty.” “Humans want to be surrounded by beauty.” – Susan Cain Susan Cain was […]

Data managers vs data consumers

September 17, 2025

Data managers vs data consumers When I work with clients on any data management project, I’ll often point out that […]

Another universal truth

September 10, 2025

Another universal truth There are many universal truths in data management. Some examples: You will always have duplicate records. Your […]

Don’t miss this year’s DAN Science Fair!

September 3, 2025

Don’t miss this year’s DAN Science Fair! I’m taking a break from my weekly tips to make the following important […]

Just start. And it’s never done.

August 27, 2025

Just start. And it’s never done. Last week I had the opportunity to lead a panel discussion about data clean […]

Don’t ask if you’re not going to answer!

August 20, 2025

Don’t ask if you’re not going to answer! In the past week, on three different occasions, I’ve filled out forms […]

Seek forgiveness rather than permission

August 6, 2025

Seek forgiveness rather than permission “Seek forgiveness, not permission.” I can’t remember when I first heard it, but it made […]

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