Everyone is responsible for data quality, says expert panel

Computing web seminar panelists argue that data management is no longer just the domain of IT, while PDSA reveals how it's helping vets

Data quality management is something that needs to concern the entire business and not just the IT department.

That's what a panel of experts concluded during a Computing web seminar on the subject of ‘Essential data quality: achieving long term success', hosted in association with Experian. Panellists included representatives from Experian, Direct Line and PDSA, with the latter revealing how good data quality management is helping vets.

"Who is driving data quality and why? There is no clear lead in who is driving data quality, despite the focus on DQ, there's still no clear lead on it," said Stuart Morrison, database systems administrator for veterinary charity PDSA, adding "it represents and industry still in flux".

"It recognises it needs to be done and done better, but doesn't know who to recommend it. We'd like to perform best practice, but it's not clear to us what best practice is," he said,

Richard Jones, head of geographic risk and data solutions for insurer Direct Line Group, added that times have changed and it's no longer just the IT department that is pushing for quality management of data, but departments from across the whole organisation.

"For insurers, data has always been extremely important," he said. "We've moved on from five years ago where IT was the lone voice, it's now much more the business driving the need for data quality and pushing the entire company to push for more accessible, usable data."

When asked about the cause of the change, Jones suggested the amount of data available from a variety of different sources has helped make the enterprise more aware of the importance of good management.

"A big part of it is what we're able to do, processing power, access to data, not just our own but licensing external data for government organisations like Ordnance Survey. We can do a lot more with what we've got to play with," he said, adding data is now essential to every department across the board.

"Focus has been data for marketing, but any department you care to mention has need for data, be it fraud, customer service," said Jones.

However, according to Sarah-Lynne Carino, principal data quality consultant for Experian QAS, before an organisation can really tidy up its data with a management solution it needs to assess and understand what it wants when it comes to priorities and benefits.

"What we talk to our customers about in terms of management solution, it's first of all get a data assessment, understand quality of data, understand impact to each business area and how you can prioritise it across the business," she said, speaking during the Computing web seminar.

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Everyone is responsible for data quality, says expert panel

Computing web seminar panelists argue that data management is no longer just the domain of IT, while PDSA reveals how it's helping vets

"You really need to assess where you currently are, understand unknown unknowns. Once you take a look at data as a whole that's when you can start to priorities and start moving. People are at the beginning understanding there is a problem but unsure what to do."

Carino argued that while IT should be at the forefront of this, it's important for all departments to understand the business case for using data in order to arrive at the best solution.

Stuart Morrison provided an example of how PDSA has benefited from proper data management, which has allowed vets to treat more animals.

"PDSA is a national network of animal hospitals that provides more than 2.2 million animal treatments a year. Some are emergencies but many are appointments and failure to keep appointments can be a costly thing to happen," he said.

"It was decided that the best way to deal with this was by mobile data, with some simple mobile data checking at point of capture, with verified numbers so people could be summoned to appointment by a postcard or mobile call, then reminded when it's imminent,"

That led to a large drop in appointments being missed, which meant more animals were treated and less time was wasted by vets.

"Business identified the need for this and a simple solution put was in place, along with training. It became second nature to front-line staff and benefits two years down the line are visible to the whole organisation," he concluded.