Correcting Dirty Data and Bad Data Issues to Increase Data Efficiency

Bad data is data that is inaccurate, incomplete, or incorrectly formatted for your business. A data error here or there might not seem like a big deal, but every year bad data costs businesses big money. These costs stem from multiple sources, including the time needed to locate and correct errors, the time wasted in tracking down bad leads, and the time needed to create workarounds that limit the impact bad data has on your business.

On average, organizations believe that bad data costs them a staggering $15 million per year, according to research firm Gartner. In total, bad data is estimated to cost the U.S. more than $3 trillion annually in wasted resources and wasted time. Research has shown that bad data can cost businesses 30% or more of their total revenue.

Dirty Data vs Bad Data: What Does Dirty Data Mean?

Dirty data and bad data are the same thing. The dirty data is data that contains inaccurate information that causes ineffective data processing. Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to remove dirty data from its source, unless you change the source or the input methods, which will help prevent the input of future bad data.

Here are some examples of dirty data and bad data:

• Misleading data

• Duplicate data

• Incorrect data

• Inaccurate data

• Non-integrated data

• Data that violates business rules

• Data without a generalized formatting

• Incorrectly punctuated or spelled data

“Bad data in, bad data out” is what you’ll get in your database if you don’t focus on the completeness, validity, consistency, and correctness of the data.

Fixing Dirty Data and Bad Data

While some data errors are impossible to avoid, businesses should take steps to prevent or minimize these errors as much as possible. Good systems and processes can help businesses minimize errors so that their data remains robust and clean.

One of the best ways to combat bad data is by using enterprise resource planning (ERP). Enterprise resource planning is a software- or technology-based solution that involves the integrated management of processes across your business, usually in real time. It means that all your employees have access to the same information at the same time, and there isn’t a disconnect where one department is relying on last year’s figures while a different department has access to the current numbers. Businesses also have the option of linking their ERP system and eCommerce websites, so that data flows seamlessly between both systems.

Better data means better decisions, happier employees, and more satisfied customers.

CertiPro’s team of Sage-certified consultants and Magento-certified developers has a proven track record of success when it comes to helping our customers develop business solutions and processes that work for them. If you’re interested in learning more about how ERP can benefit your business, please contact us at info@certiprosolutions.com or (326) 316-9777.