Baker Goodchild Essential Guidance Around Clean Data

June 3, 2015 - Data is constantly evolving and organisations need to be aware of how it can affect the systems they have in place. The good news is that it's not hard for businesses to clean up their act, with a few simple steps, they can implement a process that ensures data quality.

The importance of clean data
When it comes to data, companies can get a little lazy and many are unaware of the impact poor data can have on their operations. It's reported that 40% of company data is found to be inaccurate and 25% of company data is duplicated, both of which can have serious implications on a business.

Data cleansing can lead to increased profitability for businesses through increased sales and reduced costs. Think about it, if a business is only sending direct mail and other marketing material to living individuals who want to receive their mailings, they're going to make a lot more sales. Not only that but they'll be reducing the cost of mailing to the deceased, uninterested and individuals who have moved house, helping to increase their margins significantly.

Improved data quality can also lead to increased customer satisfaction. Through better targeting and improved data accuracy, businesses can ensure they're only marketing to people who have shown an interest in their products or service. Not only that but they won't be frustrating people who have opted out of receiving their mail, reducing mail return rates.

Finally, companies can benefit from achieving full compliance with the law and standards bodies. It's their prerogative to keep on top of their data or they risk being investigated and even fined for poor data quality.

Ensuring data quality
The key to achieving high levels of data quality is to implement a process for data cleansing and it all starts with how businesses capture their data.

Obviously data is captured in a number of different ways such as online, over the telephone or even automated process through barcodes etc. however it is a company's responsibility to ensure that 1) consent is obtained and 2) data is secured.

The next step involves cleansing and normalising data to ensure quality is achieved. From removing spelling errors to verifying data accuracy, there are a number of steps businesses need to take to keep their data in tip-top shape.

"Duplicate data is something that many companies experience," says Managing Director of Baker Goodchild, Lorraine Burnell. "From people moving house to getting married, there are so many things that can cause businesses to end up with duplicate results in their data."

She continues "In order to avoid sending out mailings to duplicate contents and wasting money, businesses need to use specialist data tools to remove contacts with different addresses and check for duplicates caused by surname changes."

It's important to remember that data cleansing is not a one-off process. Businesses must enrich their data on an on-going basis with information such as purchase history, email addresses and other updates, in order to keep it high quality and relevant. Data audits should be scheduled regularly and external data sources must be checked for information such as deaths and house moves.

Using a data cleansing service
Despite its importance, many businesses simply don't have the time or in-house resources to carry out regular data quality checks, which is where data cleansing services come in.

Companies of all sizes can benefit from working with data cleaning professionals, who have the skills, knowledge and software to carry out the process to a high standard.

Professionals in this field can fulfil a high level of data quality and ensure legislation is complied with. Many can also offer a quick turnaround, which gives businesses access to the information they need, without having to compromise on their employees' productivity.

There are so many benefits to clean data and using a data cleansing service will help businesses to explore them. Visit www.bakergoodchild.co.uk to find out more about their professional data cleansing service or for further information on the benefits and processes of clean data, visit their latest infographic guide on clean data.

Baker Goodchild:
Telephone: 0800 612 1972
Fax: 0121 248 8550

Baker Goodchild
257 Great King Street
The Jewellery Quarter
Birmingham
B19 3AS

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