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

Most important news from Personifest so far

April 13, 2015

Last night kicked off Personify’s rebranded annual users conference Personifest. Eric Thurston, Personify’s CEO, discussed several issues related to the […]

Simplify. Always.

April 9, 2015

When I work with my clients, one of my goals is always to simplify things as much as possible. (I’m […]

When do you use your rainy day fund?

April 8, 2015

Most well-managed associations  have an “operating reserve,” which is “rainy day” money set aside for unexpected cash flow emergencies. A […]

How do you eat an elephant?

April 6, 2015

One bite at a time. I’ve always loved this old joke, because it’s so applicable to any sizable project. And […]

Don't let the process slow you down from getting results

April 2, 2015

I’m a process consultant so I love process. But when you work on any project, it’s important to keep the […]

Additional benefits of selecting a new AMS

March 31, 2015

When I help my clients through the process of selecting  a new association management system, they also get the benefit […]

It's about ACTION

March 30, 2015

Long ago, I defined business intelligence as a business process using data to make decisions. The key to the definition […]

“You can always add, but you can’t take away”

March 27, 2015

When discussing how much access staff users should have to the database and its functionality, I always tell my client […]

Yes! Make it easier to join!

March 26, 2015

I was very pleased to read this recent article in Associations Now by Joe Rominiecki about the Society of Hospital […]

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