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

Users are important, but don't forget about your data consumers

November 7, 2017

Last week I wrote about an association with 60 staff but only six users. Today I want to talk about […]

Consultants Unmasked

November 6, 2017

  Consultants Unmasked! Join us on Tuesday, November 14 • 10:45 – 11:45am   This is your chance to ask […]

GDPR is coming; are you prepared?

November 3, 2017

The European Union’s new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) goes into effect in May 2018. In a nutshell, GDPR creates […]

60 staff but only six users; and that's OK

November 2, 2017

I was working with an association recently, helping them select a new association management system. The association has 60 FTEs, working […]

Two new articles posted…

October 19, 2017

In case you missed it, I’ve published two new articles on my site. Don’t overlook the progress made when moving […]

Are your customers' passwords hidden from staff view? They should be!

August 4, 2017

Are the passwords for your members and customers in your database hidden from staff view (e.g., hashed out or showing a […]

If you collect data, you must also maintain it

August 2, 2017

One of the joys of today’s database technology is that it makes it exceedingly easy to collect data. Put an online […]

New Article Posted: Seven Things You Should Do in Your AMS

July 20, 2017

Given how advanced and thorough the modern association management software (AMS) system has become, there are many opportunities for your […]

Significant change in CASL Law

July 13, 2017

CASL is the Canadian Anti-spam Law, which was passed several years ago, and is now in full effect in Canada. […]

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