Data emerged as the essential attribute for the enterprises after the ICT revolution that unfolded swiftly. In fact, the last two decades have been definitive of the multifold expansion along the dimensions of data’ and process’ quality and quantity. Large scale soft management of the operational files and the storage of the same well stacked in the data centers have now emerged as the norm; subject of course to the cloud development concepts which have reduced the individual needs. Still we find heavy reliance on the data centers and server configurations for the compute intensive functions.
The need for such expensive alignments has grown out because the current and future prospects are depending upon our abilities to utilize the same in a wise manner. Objectively speaking, this pertains to our data requirements for decision making and other operational purposes.
Naturally, the data has to be in good health and shape and hence the intensive expenditures to ensure the same! Precisely, in the tech parlance we call it by the term ‘data hygiene’.
The concept has grown significant; mainly because of the overburdening data centers and the consequent problems regarding the inaccurate, disarrayed, inconsistent, incomplete, overlapping and the like attributes of data. We can call the data ridden with these features as unhygienic and of bad quality! The smarter echelons including in the marketing domains cannot rely on such data for the purpose of decision making and marketing initiatives.
Data hygiene and data cleansing services have therefore become the demanded ones. What are these services? Let’s have a look –
As stated earlier, data is expanding fast and even the least data savvy enterprises now have to secure and manage the same through smart options like data centers. However, the data that is being secured and fed gets dirty due to many reasons including the –
- Typological or entry errors
- Overlapping with the existing data sets and absence of the functions that could generate the coherence against replication
- In accurate or incomplete data like the address is not complemented with pin code or the phone details are missing in some entries
- Incorrect or the inconsistent data that finds no use with the orientation and functions of the company
- Redundant or obsolete data – this is futile and grabs space
- Disarrayed or badly segregated data – makes the securing of relevant data difficult
The cleansing and allied tasks for data quality –
These errors and inconsistencies are tried to be removed by the data cleansing tasks so that the data hygiene is ensured. The experts work upon the databases to weed out the useless data and make the categorization fluent so that the demands for the required data are met in real time.
Additionally, along the positive dimension, it is also ensured that the relevant data is actually secured in favor of the organization. This includes the relevant indices for the purpose of data analytics and also the integration of the requisite functions that can capture the data smartly in an updated manner.
Also, incomplete data is filled up and new is also augmented to keep the data base up to date and buoyant. Such a consistent and ready database behaves as a single coherent platform and thus aids in decision maneuvering and smart analytics; particularly for the purpose of marketing!
Importance of data hygiene –
Let us find how a single platform for data queries (of entire diversity) could be derived from a hygienic database! Conversely, we will also analyze how precisely the bad data affects the business maneuvering and marketing aspects of a commercial banner. Here are few significant insights –
Clean database secures buoyancy in routine operations to escort enterprise’ marketing
Every firm is relying on the smart soft functions of diversity for carrying out its routine operations. These functions have grown out necessary and at the same time, complex too; courtesy to the differentiated operations that are being adored by the firms and enterprises.
While these functions offer the swiftness, these also derive heavily from the current databases of the company that is kept secured in the data center – ‘in house’ or outsourced or cloud!
A well managed unified database platform is always ready to respond to the custom tailored functions of data processing. It should be understood that today every company adopts very customized functional layers in the form of programmed software, applications and dynamic web identities – like through the ‘content management system’ type portals. These require fluent responses towards the data queries. Hygienic database returns the demands well and fast!
If the data management is not good or consistent with the real and core requirements then the routine operations would be badly affected. The demanded values won’t be returned as desired because of the data inconsistencies. This transforms into discordant behavior of the data sets in spite of the significant costs of maintaining the data functions and storages. The business banner loses appeal in the market and the strategies for marketing and branding begin to fail!
Referencing & analytics for decision making and marketing
Decision making has become very complex in the wake of highly differentiated economic scenario of the current age. Moreover, the developments pertaining to the liberalization and globalization have opened up opportunities of lucrative potentials. This has necessitated very swift decision making capacities in the echelons of the company and the hygienic databases aid the managers as vital escorts. The decision makers rely on the authentic, up to date and coherent databases for securing the ready references and moreover making the smart analytics from the same.
Of all the above demands placed upon the clean and hygienic database, the ‘analytics’ (or BI) is the most superior and intricate. The decision makers, particularly the marketers are using the data to make out the trends that otherwise remain latent and embedded as the undercurrents. These trends could be rode upon to make the projections and hence the prospective decisions could be made accordingly.
Here, the specific (as against the routine) data queries by the decision makers are responded in an authentic manner. In this manner, the inferences so derived act as the essential escorts for the company managers & marketers who carry out better and well informed maneuvering of the company.
If the data sets are badly arranged, incomplete and outdated, then the decision makers would be definitely crippled. Moreover, in case of ignorance, they would devise policies that would prove to be outdated and inconsistent with the current market challenges that are being faced by the company. This is no less than a nightmare for the manager(s) and something which could derail the biz banner from the mainstream economy and competition.
Data analytics for database driven marketing – a significant activity that is ensured through clean data!
Marketing has been one of the oldest attributes of business and enterprising. The continuously rising competition has led to the ever resurgent marketing initiatives of the refined types. While leveraging the deeply penetrative mediums like TV is still an accepted norm, the reliance on the consumer data has gained recent recognition; courtesy to the very intricate analytics that is performed through programmed functions as also through the fundamental insights de novo each time by the wise marketers. We call this as database driven marketing and the results are the authentic segregations in the consumer database. These segregations offer the unique distinctions from which the relevant ones are picked.
The most relevant distinction is that of determining the potential consumers who could be reached through direct marketing mediums like messages, mails and others. Elimination of the irrelevant consumer bases saves time, energy and money of the enterprise – the last one being very significant component; particularly in the backdrop of ever increasing marketing budgets. Also, the limited finances could be geared in a more optimized manner towards the consumers who are likely to respond through a buy!
Database marketing also works out the best channels of reaching out so that the effectiveness of the marketing campaign is enhanced and sure shot results are obtained.
However, it is important to understand that all such benefits would flow only if the databases are consistent and up to date. In other words a clean and coherent data pool that is able to respond to the general and specific queries is required which is possible only through a hygienic database management. If this is secured then marketing gets potent and acquires edge to deliver the finest results. Failure to maintain clean database would curb the marketing initiatives which would continue as the inferior types.
No wonder, the firm would be relegated in a short time span and would fade beyond the horizon in the long run!
Conditioning the CRM through cleaner and hygienic database
‘Customer relationship management’ is the new dimension of branding and market penetration for the business entities. The products and services so offered in the consumer domains have to compete with that of the rival firms. This requires the companies to be on their toes! Through proper and dedicated CRM exercise the company could continue augmenting its consumer bases and keep enjoying the loyalty of the existing ones. However, the CRM is a function of the consumer database and any inconsistency in the same would pull down the CRM initiatives.
Database marketing is again ready to escort the CRM exercises which happen to be the specialized offshoots of marketing. Customer relationship management requires securing of the newer data about the potential consumers – a task performed within the ambit of database marketing maneuvers. With the new consumer details being continuously added with time, the company always has a ready pool to leverage for the purpose of direct marketing initiatives of diversity and relevance.
Next comes, the relationship management where the functions of reaching out through the authentic mediums are managed. Database marketing also works to analyze upon the best mediums of communicating with the existing and potential consumer bases. Thus targeted and direct marketing initiatives could be very well synergized if optimized data quality for CRM is ensured.
An up to date, responsive (towards the demands) and unified database would be required, upon which the database marketing would feed freely to make out the trends! Lacking this requirement, the CRM and allied marketing initiatives would fail.
Clean database propels CMS portals of the firm in the web domain and thus secure effective marketing!
Web identities and interfacing mechanisms are the symbols of marketing in the popular domains. These interfaces serve as the direct buffers with the potential buyers of the product/service. CMS or the content management sites are fueling diversity of web presence for the commercial entities. At the backend, these websites are supported by the RDBMS which have to be kept buoyant and ready to respond in real time.
Also, all the new data that is being fed has to be arrayed in a neat and clean manner. A badly managed or unhygienic database will pull down the operational efficiencies at the CMS and this will also hamper the real time marketing potentials. Cleaner database therefore emerges out to be the vital need for spearheading the direct marketing in the consumer domains. Firms are trying to ensure data quality for b2b marketing as also for the popular b2c interfacing.
Clean data – really significant!
All the marketing dimensions that are discussed above require clean and consistent databases. Specifically, the single data interface that is capable to respond to the queries made by the system programs/process functions or the queries made de novo by the executive echelons is what is required! These queries support the –
- Business fluencies – by supporting the routine operations
- Real time reliance through references from the retrospect and trends
- Database marketing maneuvers and allied business intelligence
- CRM initiatives
- Web interfacing at the DBMS backed portals like the ecommerce
All these components propel or augment marketing orientations of the company. Either the firm benefits through improved decision making of targeted value or the interfacing capacities are optimized or the consumer relations are being synergized for better results! These benefits have increased the importance of data hygiene as the allied attribute of database management.