Consumer Lifestyle Survey Data - One Way To Stay Clean!

By Author: Demet Dayanch
Total Articles: 5
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Data cleansing, also known as data scrubbing, is the process of ensuring that a set of data is correct and accurate. Used mainly in databases, the term refers to identifying incomplete, incorrect, inaccurate, irrelevant parts of the data and then replacing, modifying or deleting this dirty data.

Data cleansing can occur within a single set of records, or between multiple sets of data, which need to be merged, or which will work together.

After cleansing, a data set will be consistent with other similar data sets in the system.
The quality of data is often evaluated to determine usability and to establish the processes necessary for improving data quality. Data quality may be measured objectively or subjectively and the quality pertains to issues such as:

* Accuracy
* Integrity
* Cleanliness
* Correctness
* Completeness
* Consistency
* Timeliness

Why is it important?

Data cleansing is very important to the efficiency of any data dependent business. If some of the clients within a database do not have accurate phone ...
... numbers, your employees cannot easily contact them. If your clients' email addresses were not formatted correctly, an automated email system would be unable to send out the latest coupons and special deals. The job of data cleansing is to insure that the data within a system is correct, so that the system is able to use the data. Inaccurate or incomplete records are not much use to anyone.

Any time you are storing a lot of data, errors are bound to creep into the system. The goal of data cleansing is to minimize these errors, and to make the data as useful and meaningful as possible. Without regular data cleansing, mistakes and errors can add up, leading to less efficient work and more complications down the road.

Data Cleansing Methods

The actual process of data cleansing may involve removing typographical errors or validating and correcting values against a known list of entities. The validation may be strict (such as rejecting any address that does not have a valid postal code) or fuzzy (such as correcting records that partially match existing, known records).

At its most simple form, data cleansing involves a person or persons reading through a set of records and verifying their accuracy. Typos and spelling errors are corrected, mislabeled data is properly labeled and filed, and incomplete or missing entries are completed. Data cleansing operations often purge out of date or unrecoverable records, so that they do not take up space and cause inefficient operations.

In more complex operations, computer programs can perform data cleansing. These data cleansing programs can check the data with a variety of rules and procedures decided upon by the user. A data cleansing program could be set to delete all records which have not been updated within the last five years, correct any misspelled words, and delete any duplicate copies. A more complex data cleansing program might be able to fill in a missing city based on a postcode, or change the prices of all items in a database to Euros instead of Pounds.

The smartest way to stay clean!

One sure way to avoid dirty data in the first place is to buy data that is already clean and only 24 hours old! It exists – Consumer lifestyle data!

When you think about the time and money you save by having efficient data, it makes sense to use consumer lifestyle survey data that is hot of the press. There are companies whose sole business is to generate up to date consumer lifestyle survey data. All you, the customer have to do, is state your requirements, the criteria for the consumer e.g. Individuals who have been involved in an accident in the past week, and the Telesales and lead generation companies will supply you with leads. By using consumer lifestyle surveys they will give you the data you need - data that is clean and fresh.

In a world that is consistently growing at such a rapid rate there is really no need to hold onto what has been, when you can have what is…in the current…in the now. Stay clean and smart with consumer lifestyle survey data.

Demet Dayanch is senior marketing manager for Seawave Media. Please visit our website www.seawavemedia.com or call Tulip, senior sales manager, on 0845 056 3593, or 07053 544966 or email tulip@seawavemedia.com