Important People Who Should Take Care of Your Company’s Data

The fear of corrupt data causing massive problems is something that could cause you a few sleepless nights and even the odd cold sweat.

Fortunately, there is now no reason for bad data to give you grief. By making sure that the people who matter understand how important this is, you can take care of your company’s data every step of the way.

So, who is it that should always have data quality high on their list of priorities? The truth is that this list includes a lot more of your team than you might have initially expected it to.

The Staff Who Key in Data

It probably goes without saying that people in your business who add details to the system and make changes to it should be very aware of how important good, clean data is to the company’s performance. If they aren’t then this is something to make them aware of immediately.

If you capture data well at the point of entry then there is a far higher chance of you keeping the data clean and relevant for longer. Of course, this is only part of the process but if it goes wrong here then there is very little chance of it improving later on.

To help them to work better you may want to incorporate details about the importance of data quality into their training or mention it in team meetings.

The Process Designers

If you have business analysts or process analysts in the company then they carry out a vital job in making the processes as smooth and reliable as possible. In those cases where poor data has been a problem in the past, adding something extra to the process to cover this could be a smart move.

For instance, you might want to add in a postcode lookup step to make sure that this information is correctly captured every time. Maybe you will want to carry out some form of final check on the data when the record has been updated or perhaps you will have some other idea for making the process better.

As long as people then stick to the new process all the time then it will do its job and keep your data on track. In addition, you might look to create a new address data cleansing process that someone in the company takes responsibility for carrying out regularly and thoroughly.

The Trainers

A large amount of responsibility also falls on the shoulders of your trainers. These people are in the perfect position to explain the importance of good data and to make sure that all of the staff know what they need to know.

By stressing the importance of your data quality to new recruits before they even get started in earnest you will help them to hit the ground running with good habits already in place. This means that taking good care of the data will come naturally to them from day one.

Then there is the issue of training your existing staff about the issue too. It can be easy for them to slip into bad habits after a while, so you should look to take any chance you can to drive home the importance of good data.

Everyone Who Uses the Data

Finally, everyone in your company who touches the data in one way or another can play their part in making it better. For example, when someone in your marketing team makes a phone call and realises that there is some incorrect information on file then they should look to correct it there and then.

Another example would be someone in the accounts notice who notices that a customer sends their payment in with a slightly different name or address noted on it. Or someone who deals with complaints and notices that there are recurring issues with data being incorrect.

Basically, just about everyone in your company probably has a chance to notice problems with data and to fix them. By making them all aware of your strong opinion on this matter you can get them all to take individual responsibility for making the data as clean as possible from now on.

By putting some of these tips into action you should notice that your data quality starts to improve. This might not seem like a big deal at first but once you notice fewer complaints and more people staying with you then you will understand that having trustworthy data is a big factor in running a successful and sustainable business.