Comments on: Data as a smoke screen http://www.charlesblyth.co.uk/2010/03/data-as-a-smoke-screen/ MDM, Business Intelligence and Data Governance blogging from Charles Blyth Thu, 08 Apr 2010 10:24:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Dylan Jones http://www.charlesblyth.co.uk/2010/03/data-as-a-smoke-screen/comment-page-1/#comment-112 Dylan Jones Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:31:43 +0000 http://www.charlesblyth.co.uk/?p=291#comment-112 Like the nice roundup at the end there Charles, clear, concise actions every company should be focused on. Like the nice roundup at the end there Charles, clear, concise actions every company should be focused on.

]]> By: Charles Blyth http://www.charlesblyth.co.uk/2010/03/data-as-a-smoke-screen/comment-page-1/#comment-111 Charles Blyth Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:23:49 +0000 http://www.charlesblyth.co.uk/?p=291#comment-111 William and Ken, thanks for your comments and kind words. William you make a good point re: data not being 100% defensible, and that the smoke screen will always be there. What I do however ask for from my teams is that they strive for 100%, not getting to 100% quality is not a failure, the failure comes when you stop striving. Cheers Charles William and Ken, thanks for your comments and kind words.

William you make a good point re: data not being 100% defensible, and that the smoke screen will always be there. What I do however ask for from my teams is that they strive for 100%, not getting to 100% quality is not a failure, the failure comes when you stop striving.

Cheers

Charles

]]> By: William Sharp http://www.charlesblyth.co.uk/2010/03/data-as-a-smoke-screen/comment-page-1/#comment-110 William Sharp Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:37:37 +0000 http://www.charlesblyth.co.uk/?p=291#comment-110 I thought it was "bum" across the pond? :) I think Phil has a good point when he states that data perception tends to be somewhere in the middle rather than at the extremes. Data quality is an abstract metric, especially when it is not extreme. This presents a challenge when defending the state of data. If we are practical, data will never be 100% defensible. The nature of data creation in today's reality is too voluminous to be "on top" or "out in front" of all of it. That is not to say that an attempted to address the smoke screens should not be undertaken, but rather to say that the "smoke screen" will always be there. I think this post is another, in a long list, of reasons why MDM and data governance is a permenant part of Information Management. Thanks for the colorful illustration, Charles! I thought it was “bum” across the pond? :) I think Phil has a good point when he states that data perception tends to be somewhere in the middle rather than at the extremes. Data quality is an abstract metric, especially when it is not extreme. This presents a challenge when defending the state of data. If we are practical, data will never be 100% defensible. The nature of data creation in today’s reality is too voluminous to be “on top” or “out in front” of all of it. That is not to say that an attempted to address the smoke screens should not be undertaken, but rather to say that the “smoke screen” will always be there.
I think this post is another, in a long list, of reasons why MDM and data governance is a permenant part of Information Management. Thanks for the colorful illustration, Charles!

]]> By: Ken O'Connor http://www.charlesblyth.co.uk/2010/03/data-as-a-smoke-screen/comment-page-1/#comment-109 Ken O'Connor Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:36:00 +0000 http://www.charlesblyth.co.uk/?p=291#comment-109 Hi Charles, Enjoyable, informative and thought provoking - Well done. Ken Hi Charles,

Enjoyable, informative and thought provoking – Well done.

Ken

]]> By: Charles Blyth http://www.charlesblyth.co.uk/2010/03/data-as-a-smoke-screen/comment-page-1/#comment-108 Charles Blyth Tue, 02 Mar 2010 13:26:14 +0000 http://www.charlesblyth.co.uk/?p=291#comment-108 Thanks Jackie, Phil and Rich for your great comments and contribution to the post. And Rich, you are right, this does tie in well with Jim's post, but it is pure coincidence, I can't even use the term 'great minds think alike' here, cause sometimes I'm not sure how Jim's mind works like it does :) Thanks Jackie, Phil and Rich for your great comments and contribution to the post.

And Rich, you are right, this does tie in well with Jim’s post, but it is pure coincidence, I can’t even use the term ‘great minds think alike’ here, cause sometimes I’m not sure how Jim’s mind works like it does :)

]]> By: Rich Murnane http://www.charlesblyth.co.uk/2010/03/data-as-a-smoke-screen/comment-page-1/#comment-107 Rich Murnane Tue, 02 Mar 2010 12:40:42 +0000 http://www.charlesblyth.co.uk/?p=291#comment-107 Love the graphic Charles, very nice post. This posting really illustrates something so fundamental that it's sometimes scary that we even have to talk about it: Trusting the data we provide is of utmost importance! With that said however there are so many people in organizations who just don't get it. These folks want to "knock off a report" or "close out the project" or "get out of the office on time". To those of you who are just knocking off reports and not 100% confident in the results, I'd recommend a different line of work because sooner or later a senior leader at your organization is going to get very grumpy because of the data you've been providing. These senior leaders won't remember that you got the report "done on time", they will remember how good or bad it was. Trust, such a simple little word and like many four letter words comes with so much baggage... Best...Rich P.S. This post ties very nicely with Jim Harris' posting "The Circle of Quality" that sometimes I think you and Jim are "in kahoots" together when writing them: http://www.ocdqblog.com/home/the-circle-of-quality.html Love the graphic Charles, very nice post.

This posting really illustrates something so fundamental that it’s sometimes scary that we even have to talk about it: Trusting the data we provide is of utmost importance! With that said however there are so many people in organizations who just don’t get it. These folks want to “knock off a report” or “close out the project” or “get out of the office on time”. To those of you who are just knocking off reports and not 100% confident in the results, I’d recommend a different line of work because sooner or later a senior leader at your organization is going to get very grumpy because of the data you’ve been providing. These senior leaders won’t remember that you got the report “done on time”, they will remember how good or bad it was.

Trust, such a simple little word and like many four letter words comes with so much baggage…

Best…Rich

P.S. This post ties very nicely with Jim Harris’ posting “The Circle of Quality” that sometimes I think you and Jim are “in kahoots” together when writing them: http://www.ocdqblog.com/home/the-circle-of-quality.html

]]> By: Phil Wright http://www.charlesblyth.co.uk/2010/03/data-as-a-smoke-screen/comment-page-1/#comment-106 Phil Wright Tue, 02 Mar 2010 09:13:19 +0000 http://www.charlesblyth.co.uk/?p=291#comment-106 Good post Charles. On a slightly different note, I've lost count of the number of times I've heard the disclaimer "you can have the data, but it's not great quality". As if this disclaimer protects the provider from the the proverbial arse-biting. Surely the antithesis of trust. Good post Charles.

On a slightly different note, I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve heard the disclaimer “you can have the data, but it’s not great quality”.

As if this disclaimer protects the provider from the the proverbial arse-biting.

Surely the antithesis of trust.

]]> By: Jackie Roberts http://www.charlesblyth.co.uk/2010/03/data-as-a-smoke-screen/comment-page-1/#comment-105 Jackie Roberts Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:55:11 +0000 http://www.charlesblyth.co.uk/?p=291#comment-105 Data is trusted through use after use, record by record, building the client trust that the data is structured, verified and maintained providing a single truth. Trust is achived through MDM processes including Data Governance and the broad category of Data Cleansing, each record processed in a standard method, import, referencing, classifying, matching, de-duplicating, verification, translation and delivery of reporting accuracy / use. Data is trusted through use after use, record by record, building the client trust that the data is structured, verified and maintained providing a single truth. Trust is achived through MDM processes including Data Governance and the broad category of Data Cleansing, each record processed in a standard method, import, referencing, classifying, matching, de-duplicating, verification, translation and delivery of reporting accuracy / use.

]]> By: Charles Blyth http://www.charlesblyth.co.uk/2010/03/data-as-a-smoke-screen/comment-page-1/#comment-104 Charles Blyth Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:23:35 +0000 http://www.charlesblyth.co.uk/?p=291#comment-104 Henrik, with some of the words I often hear in a 'business context' ass is a good word :) Phil, you're not unlucky, I'm just pushing the bar higher with the 100% confidence statement, gotta aim high! Henrik, with some of the words I often hear in a ‘business context’ ass is a good word :)

Phil, you’re not unlucky, I’m just pushing the bar higher with the 100% confidence statement, gotta aim high!

]]> By: Phil Simon http://www.charlesblyth.co.uk/2010/03/data-as-a-smoke-screen/comment-page-1/#comment-103 Phil Simon Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:48:11 +0000 http://www.charlesblyth.co.uk/?p=291#comment-103 Hey Charles Good post. Can I play a little devil's advocate? We must be 100% confident in our data, and ready to defend it at all times, don’t show any weakness when confronted about it. I've never worked with or for any organization at this point. I've seen "general comfort" and "complete distrust." Maybe I'm just unlucky? Hey Charles

Good post. Can I play a little devil’s advocate?

We must be 100% confident in our data, and ready to defend it at all times, don’t show any weakness when confronted about it.

I’ve never worked with or for any organization at this point. I’ve seen “general comfort” and “complete distrust.” Maybe I’m just unlucky?

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