I watched the news this week and saw the epicenter of Integrity. Nate Smith nailed a hockey puck into a 3.5-inch hole for $50,000 as part of a raffle. The only problem was that his identical twin Nick was the one who was supposed to take the shot. The father, Pat Smith had a higher standard of life and called the next day for a full disclosure of what had taken place. He knew that his integrity would cost him $50,000. Will they get the money after all? The story is still unfolding so we will see.

In modeling and analytics the integrity of the data is everything. Did you get what you paid for? Is your source for data trustworthy and offering full disclosure of the quality of the data? Do you know all of the details surrounding how the data being used was compiled and what it represents? These and many other questions are at the core of how strong you next business decision will be. Building models and analyzing results will only be as good as the information you feed into them. I see this happen from time to time when we receive a call and are told that the last vendor created a compelling story with twisted facts. Gathering the right information on the front end is critical to a full understanding of where you have been, where you are and where you are headed.

Before modeling and analytics can begin, data has to be captured. Typically this is where database design and development become a critical part of the equation. Just knowing that you have a ton of data that can’t be tied together is a painful thing to realize. I also learn from my counterparts in the database side of the business about poor business practices or misrepresentations of previous information that must be fixed before moving forward. This is a bitter pill for companies to swallow but the integrity of the data is mandatory for future success. Sometimes this means learning that you have been headed in the wrong direction at lightning speed. On the other hand, how about models that are much weaker than they should be? Other factors may indicate that a company has to restate earnings. We have heard the phrase many times that “numbers do not lie”. This may be true however inaccurate data can definitely tell the wrong story.

Just like Pat Smith’s honesty is a breath of fresh air in the media this week, data with integrity will breathe new life into the confidence you strive for in the analysis of your business. Are you confident that your data has you headed in the right direction?

 To learn more about how the integrity of data impacts your database and analytics, please visit our website at www.sourcelink.com