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

If you're sending more than five RFPs, you're doing it wrong.

March 31, 2016

I once heard of an association who had worked with a consultant on selecting a new AMS. The consultant had the […]

Where is that data?

March 30, 2016

One of the challenges that I see with many associations is knowing exactly where a given data point is housed within […]

"There are no solutions, only trade-offs"

March 29, 2016

I first heard this from Thomas Sowell many years ago. And I’ve written about it here and here and here. But […]

Vendors: PLEASE stop saying "only" or "first of its kind"

March 28, 2016

Here’s the thing about being “first” on anything. Only ONE company or person can be first. Only one. So when […]

Associations need to formalize and operationalize data management

March 24, 2016

In my 2015 Data Management Benchmarking Survey, I asked associations: “Do you have a formal data management team?” Only 22% […]

To host or not to host? That is the question.

March 23, 2016

I’m often asked by my clients, as they seek a new AMS, should they be looking at hosted options? Or […]

Have you looked at your documentation recently?

March 22, 2016

Many years ago I wrote an article about how important documentation is to the long-term success of your AMS. (You can read […]

"Start as you mean to continue"

March 21, 2016

A client of mine recently said this in a meeting, explaining her momma used to always tell her, “Start as you […]

There is ideal, and then there is reality

March 18, 2016

When it comes to data management, I often encourage my clients to seek the ideal whenever possible, but to acknowledge […]

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