Operational data quality is a big issue, everywhere. Numerous surveys identify it as a major challenge and cost that IT departments and business alike must tackle. Data quality reflects on the business when a customer calls. It consumes call center time when customer records are incorrect and have to be corrected. It impacts on the aggregate information we create from our operational data when we build a data warehouse. It directly affects the usefulness of the information we extract from data mining projects. Furthermore, it causes us uncertainty when we read inaccurate reports.
It is this last point that is perhaps the most worrisome. If a report sits in the hands of your CEO, it is because he or she needs that information to make a business decision. At this level, the decision is likely to be a strategic one, guiding the corporation in
one direction or another, possibly part of a long term plan. If the decision is right, everyone concerned will do well...