Leadership in Database Management

It has been my experience that many organizations struggle to ensure that the industry knowledge, research, data, and gained experience resident in their staff are fully accessible and documented. No matter the format – database, document, spreadsheet, presentation, email, or sticky note – this issue is pervasive in many of our organizations.

While the number of records in a database is a variable, the foundation for good data quality is the same no matter the size. Data is collected for one main reason – action. What those actions are will determine database design but again, the core of how to successfully collect, review, and act upon the data is relatively standard across purposes.

Most definitely, there are a wide assortment of tools that can be applied to maximize the opportunity to:

1) INPUT – Accurately collect and process required information from a range of sources
2) ANALYZE - Systematically and objectively compare this data
3) REPORT/USE - Use in such a way that activities can be quickly and effectively implemented, and can be revisited and re-evaluated as the business environment changes

However, one cannot remove the human aspect - the people who input, analyze, review, use, support, and decide upon the data. Thus, the processes, procedures, and training cannot be forgotten in any database design, database management, and data assurance projects and programs. Tools are extremely helpful but for quality and continued success, your people need as much focus as what tools are selected. Thus, process, procedure, training, and compliance reporting is vital to any database management and data assurance program.

Simple and practical data management methods and tools can be applied to any organization in any department to have quality control over the above events. I have provided you some ideas on how I typically assist clients with data management and assurance strategies.

**Data Back-Up**

Before any analysis, review, decision, or action activities begin, the Back-Up and Restore policies, procedures, and activities are reviewed for thoroughness, accuracy, compliance, and success. A successful back-up is completed, a restore is successful, and the entire process is reviewed for quality.

**Systems Analysis**

Review your system for collecting, organizing, reviewing/reporting/use, and decision making. If a data management system does not do or is not used for all four purposes, “Houston, there is a problem”. Report all findings, create a simple architectural diagram of the current data management system, and provide suggestions for improvement or changes.

**Data Integrity Review and Analysis**

Ensure that the data is collected correctly and there are processes in place to ensure that data is being captured in a logical sequence of events. Review the “input process” to ensure that there is compliance with mandatory field input and there are duplication preventions and checks. Review the "outputs" to ensure the information is being captured correctly.

**Data Clean-Up**

If data clean-up is required, have an expert fully manage this project. An experienced data integrity person knows what they are looking for, how to pull information, and how to clean data efficiently and securely. This is tedious work that requires a lot of attention and dedication. The person needs to be detailed oriented, meticulous and extremely careful. You want to ensure that there is a successful back-up and the ability to restore because in many cases, if you clean the wrong thing, the data is lost without a back-up. This is not for the faint of heart but it vital to the success of the overall data project.

**System Utilization Process Development**

Once the review, analysis and data integrity work is completed, the organization should ensure that the data stays clean and data entry is done correctly in a timely, quality, and effective manner. You must develop a workable and easy to follow process flow and documentation for these purposes. Train your employees. Ensure that outside data sources comply to your data assurance processes and procedures. Whatever quality checking process you decide - tool or manual - you must make sure that data is in compliance before entering it into the database. Train your employees. Train your... oh, I guess I said that enough!

**Data Analysis and Reporting**

The accurate output from a database is critical. Data is not valuable unless it is accurately stored, reviewed, and used for appropriate activities and decision making purposes. For your database to be useful, you must fully trust the validity of the data. Reporting and providing the right information and outputs and successfully cutting the data into usable chunks of information is vital for any system Return on Investment. Ensure that you have data integrity reports created for continual review and response. Make sure you have someone have the role and responsibility for reviewing for and managing the resolution of data integrity issues.