Five signs of a good data quality culture

Place good data quality at the heart of your organisation

A good data quality culture in your organisation brings lasting benefits. Recognising good practice and building this into the way your organisation works can give you the confidence to make decisions knowing that you are backed by high quality data.

We all want to know that our data is fit for purpose. In this article, we’ll look at five ways to be sure that the quality of your data is right for your needs and your users’ needs.

The risks of bad data quality can occur in many places. From design, data collection, and data entry to use, publication, and archiving of data. Everyone in your organisation should understand their responsibility to data quality and have the skills to play their part. This means you can get things right from the start.

You should recognise and share where good data quality practices occur in your organisation. Define roles and responsibilities for data quality in your organisation and ensure that your people can develop the skills they need. These can be important steps in building a good data quality culture.

2. Data quality is a commitment, not a task

Data quality cannot exist in a vacuum; you cannot consider it in isolation or only react to poor data quality after it has caused a problem. Business impacts of good or bad data quality intersect with so many areas of an organisation that it must be integral to your working.

Consider your business outcomes and the risks that poor data quality can pose to these. Mitigating risks early and involving the right people throughout your organisation will allow you build a culture where data quality is systemic in your working.