Smiley Face Corrupted USPS Scanner Data

While mailing a package the other day, I bumped into a fellow USPS (United States Postal Service) customer who said her packages had been sent back to her by the USPS. She said that the Smiley face sticker(s) on the envelope scanned by the USPS sorting machines were mistaken for a QR or barcode. I found this very interesting and humorous at the same time. I thought I’d share it with this data quality audience because it highlights data quality from a machine’s (non-human) perspective.

Dr. Christiana Klingenberg

With the Conformed Dimensions of Data Quality, Dan Myers has created a practicable basis for establishing data quality in companies. The concept goes far beyond the DQ dimensions. In addition, Underlying Concepts are described and named and some of the most relevant scenarios that occur in companies are described. The Conformed Dimensions thus represent a practical approach that makes dealing with data quality in companies manageable.

Danette McGilvray, Granite Falls Consulting

For the data industry, standardized definitions of data quality dimensions are needed, just as other professions, such as accounting have agreed-upon concepts and terms like “chart of accounts”. It is then up to each organization to gain competitive advantage by the way the dimensions are applied (through assessments, root cause analysis, improvements, metrics, etc.) to manage and increase the quality of the information and data on which the organization depends.

Dealing with Domain Precision and Granularity

While teaching several classes in Brisbane, Australia recently, I discussed when it is best to start thinking about each of the Conformed Dimensions of Data Quality (CDDQ) within the context of a typical waterfall Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC). We will not cover each dimension per phase here in this blog, but I thought I'd just cover Precision as an example and provide my thoughts on the other dimensions relating to each of the phases as a separate document.

Data Quality with Southwest

On a recent Southwest flight I was reminded how easy it is for important business processes to fail. The flight attendant came on the speakerphone and politely asked if Eve Adamson (pseudonym) was aboard the aircraft, and if so could ring the attendant call button. If you fly much you know this is a very common occurrence. But if you think about it, this breaks all the rules of common sense and the TSA boarding procedures.