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

Don’t miss obvious engagement data

October 23, 2024

Don’t miss obvious engagement data What I’ve experienced with my clients over the years is that too many associations are […]

All data requires active management

October 16, 2024

All data requires active management It’s a simple fact of data management that is often overlooked: Any data that is […]

Documentation is critical for consistency

October 9, 2024

Documentation is critical for consistency There are so many reasons why documenting your data management processes are so critical to […]

Consumer demands change and technology changes

October 2, 2024

Consumer demands change and technology changes When I work with clients on the selection of a new AMS, I’ll often […]

Why I write

September 25, 2024

Why I write Thirty years ago, I started a new job as director of membership for a small trade association. It […]

DAN – The Data Analytics Network

September 18, 2024

DAN – The Data Analytics Network I’m a huge fan of users groups (both internal and external!). After all, users […]

Process before technology

September 11, 2024

Process before technology In a conversation with a client recently, I was reminded (yet again) of how important people and […]

Opting out and communication preferences

September 4, 2024

Opting out and communication preferences Last week’s newsletter discussed the need for associations to collect mobile phone numbers for use in […]

Are you collecting mobile phone numbers? You should be.

August 28, 2024

Are you collecting mobile phone numbers? You should be. Are you collecting (and using) the mobile phone numbers of your […]

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