Data Cleansing - Ensuring Correct and Accurate Data is Good Data

We live in an age full of data and indeed dataLet's take a major supermarket or shop for example
recording systems and as more and more informationthat wants to send out information of special offers
about people is recorded it has become vitallyand promotions to all its registered customers. How
important to not only keep data safe but to alsodo they do it? Well, often by post, sometimes by
ensure that all data recorded and kept is as accurateemail and also by telephone, or perhaps on some
as possible.occasions, a combination of all methods. That is
Despite this hi tech era we are a part of, the needalready a lot of data that needs to be accurate in
for human participation will always be needed and soorder for the special offer to be delivered to the
it is with data entry. Computers and data bases maycorrect address, email address or phone number.
do a sterling job of storing and producing storedData cleansing, is effectively a method of collating
information on demand but it still take human mindsdata and detecting any inaccuracies within it. If errors
and physical interaction for the data to be stored inare found in the data, the data cleansing system
the first place.then sets about the task of correcting it or removing
Inevitably, alongside human interaction arises theit, if needed.
possibility and the probability of human error. It onlyWe have all experienced occasions where we have
takes one slip of the mouse or one incorrect entryreceived incorrect mail or haven't received the
on a keyboard for data to be effectively wrong,correct mail at all. In the cases of private data this
incomplete or out of date for that matter. This cancan cause huge stress to individuals and huge
cause huge problems in the delivery of information,problems for the companies that have sent out the
whether it is in private sectors or perhaps in theincorrect data, not to mention of the financial and
distribution to mass market mail.environmental waste that results. Data cleansing
Many of the shops and stores we visit today storesystems set out to eliminate these problems and
lots of our personal information, including homeproduce effective, streamlined data production and
addresses, dates of birth, marital status and in somedelivery.
cases shopping habits and records of our purchases.