While IT may own the physical aspects of the data (storage, security, format, connectivity, etc.), the Business (e.g. Marketing & Sales) must own its strategic meaning and be committed to auditing and maintaining its high quality.
Proficient analysts who spend most of their time cleansing the data constantly after downloading it to spreadsheets, every time they need a report, need to change and become Data Stewards that cleanse and structure the transaction data using external market intelligence BEFORE it enters the Data Warehouse or BI systems. They need to maintain, update, format and upload their data corrections on a weekly or monthly basis.
This small process change requires a committed partnership between IT and the Business but truly makes a difference because it breaks the Business Intelligence vs. Data Quality vicious cycle.
When the data makes sense to BI users they start to recognize their business models, develop trust in the data and become better users. They’ll soon find additional data issues and take the initiative to get them promptly corrected. In a few weeks there will be no more serious data issues as this process becomes a virtuous cycle where the BI utilization rate grows giving the company an analytical competitive edge.
by Bill Cabiro and Strat-Wise LLC
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