subject: Data Cleaning – Why is Data Cleansing So Essential? [print this page] Data cleaning or as it is also widely known, data cleansing, is the often unseen yet crucial task of ensuring that database systems are accurately maintained, updated and supported.
Why is this quite such an important task? Well, imagine a world where data was never kept up to date or checked for accuracy, the result, I am sure would be nothing short of chaos. When data isn't stored or managed correctly, the fallout can be hugely damaging and potentially business breaking!
What sort of data are we talking about here? Let's take a brief look at some important areas of data that all of us expect to be not only kept in order but that its privacy and safety is ensured.
1. Addresses: How often have you received items of mail that have been delivered to the wrong address or perhaps not received mail that you should have done? Often this is down to mail being wrongly addressed or containing incorrect postcodes (which are of course a vital ingredient in our addresses) because data has not been maintained correctly at the source. Maybe you have moved house and changed addresses and as far as you are concerned, you have informed all the right people of your move, but it is now up to those who store data to play their part. An effective data cleaning system can help prevent these errors and discrepancies in most cases.
2. Telephone Numbers: Much like addresses, in an age where mobile phones in many cases are main contact numbers and changed very frequently, it is important for this data to be correct and accurate.
3. Email Addresses: Email addresses are becoming as essential as any other contact information and it's key to see email addresses matching the remainder of the contact information.
4. Deceased Suppression: This is essentially a system that ensures sensitivity. If a client or customer has died, it can be extremely insensitive to the families involved to continue sending mail to their deceased loved ones.
5. Environment: In an era where conserving energy and protecting the environment has become an important aspect of all business, data cleaning can help this cause immensely. Avoiding mass duplication and erroneous data being sent out prevents huge amounts of waste and helps the environment as well.
There are various other ways in which data cleaning can not only help keep clients and customers happy but also contribute to a much smoother business operation.
