Spring Cleaning: Data Edition

It’s that time of the year again: spring cleanup! And if you’re like most businesses, your data could use a little tidying up, too. It may be affecting your business more than you even know. 

What is Data Cleanup?  

Data cleanup is the process of getting data ready for analysis. To make your data reliable enough to inform decisions, you must delete or fix any data that is wrong, missing, unimportant, repeated, or poorly formatted.

Why is it Critical to Digital Transformation? 

In the video interview below, we heard from data expert, Susan Walsh, also known as “the Classification Guru.” She shared her knowledge on why data cleanup is so vital and how you can best execute your own cleanup. She also explained the role that people and technology must play to keep data tidy after the initial project to get things back in shape.  

Susan has seen businesses spend thousands, if not millions, of dollars on digital transformation only to find that because they failed to take the necessary steps to ensure data accuracy early on, they ultimately end up abandoning their project. In other words, neglecting your data quality can have massive, wide-reaching repercussions.

Even if you are using a modern solution, you might still need a data overhaul. Wondering where to start? Here are some signs that your data may need some spring cleaning: 

Why Data Cleanup Matters in Digital Transformation

3 Signs You Need a Cleanup: 

1. You are Constantly “Massaging” the Data

Data-driven decisions are only as good as the data behind them. Is your team spending hours on end manipulating data to produce the reports needed to impact critical business decisions?

Time for a cleanup!

By cleaning your data, you enable your team to concentrate on analyzing data and applying insights without being concerned about inaccurate data. Imagine how much time and efficiency you could gain!

2. You Make Most Decisions Off of Feelings

While business decisions will always carry an element of subjectivity, if you are basing most of your decisions off gut feelings, it is likely…

…Time for a cleanup!

Mine the gold that is your data! Don’t let bad data clutter your view or inform your decisions. When you clean it up, you’ll be better equipped to start using it to drive your decisions.

3. You Lack Consistency in When, Where, and How Your Team Enters Data

Is your team inconsistent with entering data or saving files with different naming conventions? Maybe they’re even guilty of not entering data at all. This could be partly due to training, but it’s more likely that you haven’t established a regular process for data input.

Time for a cleanup!

Consider cleaning up your current data first and then focusing on building a consistent process for your team to follow. In the interview, Susan dives into the role that People need to play in your data strategy after a cleanup. Technology can help, but it is ultimately up to your team to support a consistent data strategy.

Make Sure Your Data Has Its COAT

In the interview, Susan shares her acronym, COAT, to help you easily remember that you want Consistent, Organized, Accurate, and Trustworthy data driving your digital transformation.

Be sure to check out the full interview and take a peek at Susan’s full article on the Data COAT.

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