Blog: Wes’s thoughts, articles, and insights

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My most recent posts

Evolution, not revolution

By Wes Trochlil | May 3, 2023

Evolution, not revolution I don’t recall where I first heard it many decades ago, but the phrase “evolution, not revolution” always struck me as one key to understanding how data management really works. (I heard the phrase in relation to something else but naturally I found a fit for data management!) It’s really quite simple: When it […]

The power of the users’ group

By Wes Trochlil | April 26, 2023

The power of the users’ group Recently in an online users group forum for an AMS provider, a poster asked a question about a fairly complex topic. The poster received multiple replies that pointed her toward a solution. She then posted: “Thank you everyone for the insights. I know why I rely more on this […]

Who is your data evangelist?

By Wes Trochlil | April 19, 2023

Who is your data evangelist? I was recently talking with a client of mine about a new position they are hoping to add, one they were calling “data hygienist” (a title I love). This is an association with over 50 staff, so having someone on staff dedicated to keeping the data clean makes a lot of […]

Who is your data evangelist?

By Wes Trochlil | April 19, 2023

Who is your data evangelist? I was recently talking with a client of mine about a new position they are hoping to add, one they were calling “data hygienist” (a title I love). This is an association with over 50 staff, so having someone on staff dedicated to keeping the data clean makes a lot of […]

Ratio of Data to Errors

By Wes Trochlil | April 12, 2023

Ratio of Data to Errors One of the elements of a good data governance plan is establishing data quality metrics. Put another way, what are your measurements for how good your data really is? One of the simplest but perhaps most powerful metrics is the ratio of data to errors (or what percentage of your data […]

Older Posts

Action produces information

April 8, 2026

Action produces information “Action produces information. If you’re unsure of what to do, just do anything, even if it’s the […]

Why a single source of truth is so beneficial…

March 25, 2026

Why a single source of truth is so beneficial… The holy grail of data management is the “single source of truth.” […]

Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should

March 18, 2026

Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should I’ve worked in and with associations for well over 37 years now. And […]

Data doesn’t need to be perfect to be useful

March 4, 2026

Data doesn’t need to be perfect to be useful “Your data doesn’t have to be perfect to be useful.” – (Borrowed […]

Don’t just clean data, clean reports and queries

February 25, 2026

Don’t just clean data, clean reports and queries One of the reasons I exhort my clients to keep their data […]

Don’t forget, your staff have day jobs…

February 18, 2026

Don’t forget, your staff have day jobs… The vast majority of my work is finite project work (e.g., system selection […]

Beware the automated “How did we do?” trap!

February 11, 2026

Beware the automated “How did we do?” trap! One of the downsides of technology is that automation can be so […]

Hindsight is 20/20

February 4, 2026

Hindsight is 20/20 I’m currently working with a client that is moving from their legacy AMS to a new system. […]

Cheaper now; costlier later.

January 28, 2026

Cheaper now; costlier later. Most of my clients are very cost-conscious, understandably. After all, who among us has an unlimited […]

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