Click to learn more about author Kevin W. McCarthy. As we know, Data Management is nothing if not a barrage of the latest terminology designed to spur us into action. Big Data and analytics are terms that might be relatively new, but they are practices that have been around since the stone age (or at […]
What I Learned About Data Quality from Building Cheap Furniture
Click to learn more about author Kevin W. McCarthy. I’m a Data Quality guy, and I do it because I love it! That sounds incredulous, but it’s true. I didn’t always love it, but over three decades I’ve learned the thrill of investigating a data issue down to its root cause like Sherlock Holmes. There […]
Data Quality’s Image Problem
Click to learn more about author Kevin W. McCarthy. Let’s be honest, some of us have a negative opinion around Data Quality. It is something that takes a lot of time and effort, and may not be as exciting as data projects like analytics, personalization, or Data Science. Data Quality is typically one of those […]
Your Data Quality Situation is Unique (But it Really isn’t)
Click to learn more about author Kevin W. McCarthy. I’ve been involved in hundreds of Data Quality implementations. There is one thing every project has in common: The project team thinks their data is different than anything I might have seen before. To some extent that is true; each company has its own volumes of […]
Moving Data from an IT Issue to a Business Imperative
Click to learn more about author Kevin W. McCarthy. We all know businesses are trying to do more with their data, but inaccuracy and general Data Management issues are getting in the way. For most businesses, the status quo for managing data is not working. However, there is new research that shows data is moving […]
You Want Control of Your Data, But What Does That Really Mean?
Click to learn more about author Kevin W. McCarthy. An interesting trend has started in Data Quality. Data Quality has lost its cachet (if it ever had it), and is quickly being overshadowed by the concept of “Data Control”. Data Quality is often thought of as a backroom activity, relegated to IT, and just another […]
Data Quality: Naughty or Nice?
Click to learn more about author Kevin W. McCarthy. Just in time for the holidays, I put together my first annual “Data Quality: Naughty or Nice” list. For your average person, Data Quality can be a really dry topic. When you start talking about consolidating customer records (checking that Jon Smith and J Smith are […]
Aliens, Bigfoot and Trusted Data: I Want To Believe
Click to learn more about author Kevin W. McCarthy. If you’ve read any of my previous articles, you know I’m a fan of pop culture. Recently, the pop culture gods must have heard my prayers by bringing back the early 90s paranormal juggernaut known as “The X-Files.” If you never saw “The X-Files” (congratulations on […]
Data Quality: Villain or Hero?
Click to learn more about author Kevin W. McCarthy. Any fan of comic books knows that the beloved characters often fall into one of two camps: heroes or villains. Often, it seems to me that Data Quality is considered in a similar way. Historically, Data Quality programs have often been looked at as a villain […]
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: Even Robots Have a Gas Tank
Click to learn more about author Kevin W. McCarthy. Not to date myself, but by my childhood timeline, we should be about 15 years past flying cars, and just about coming up on the robot apocalypse. There was a time when everyone assumed that automation would eventually take over everyone’s lives, and as you see […]