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

They don’t care, until they care.

March 19, 2025

They don’t care, until they care. One of the more common questions I get from my clients is “How can […]

Longfellow and data management

March 12, 2025

Longfellow and data management “We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing while others judge us by what […]

Do you really need all that historical data?

March 5, 2025

Do you really need all that historical data? A question I’ll often get from my clients as they’re making the […]

AI actually requires thinking

February 26, 2025

AI actually requires thinking “I don’t think AI introduces a new kind of thinking. It reveals what actually requires thinking.” […]

It’s not the mistakes, but how you respond

February 19, 2025

It’s not the mistakes, but how you respond Recently a client was complaining about a bug that had been introduced in the […]

The hidden costs of bad data

February 12, 2025

The hidden costs of bad data Nobody likes bad data, and presumably we’re all working tirelessly to minimize it. After […]

Don’t let your customers edit their names online!

February 5, 2025

Don’t let your customers edit their names online! This issue came up recently and I was surprised because I thought […]

Once is an accident, twice is coincidence, three times is a pattern.

January 29, 2025

Once is an accident, twice is coincidence, three times is a pattern. We’ve probably all heard this phrase: “Once is […]

“Every association does this.”

January 22, 2025

“Every association does this.” One of the most significant values I bring to my clients is perspective. Specifically the perspective […]

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