Databases Reference
In-Depth Information
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2
Customer Feedback
Manufacturing History
MFG_CODE = XLN0722
MFG_CODE = XLN0722
AND
MFG_PRODUCT = 722a91
Product Mapping
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MFG_PRODUCT = 722a91
and
PROD_CODE = 1234
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Order Entry
PRODUCT_ID = 1234
Figure 8-6
Data integration paths
Quality Improves When It Matters
Data that is required for a business transaction to run successfully is generally
entered completely and accurately. In addition to the minimum data to
complete a transaction, other data may be known at that moment that better
describes the transaction. For example, it may be enough to capture the
shipping address to place an order, but it may also be useful to know if
this is the address of the customer's primary residence. Additional customer
demographics may also be available. The level of detail applied can vary
greatly depending upon the total number of fields that need to be entered
and the amount of work that is waiting to be handled (e.g., customers in line,
phone calls on hold, claims that need to be entered). Even required fields
may not be captured carefully, and default values are often selected. If default
values or other shortcuts are used to complete tasks that are valuable for
analysis but not critical to complete the transaction, and there is no negative
feedback or consequences for these shortcuts, why would any employee take
the additional time to do something whose value they cannot perceive?
Data quality greatly improves when there is a clear impact. This impact
can be feedback about the number of entry errors made by employees, public
release of data that is incorrect, or the association of job performance with
improved data quality. When individuals can see that their efforts make
