Data Quality Enthusiasts:

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.

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.

Using the Conformed Dimensions of Data Quality when Training Machine Learning Programs

Over the last year or so, I've noticed improvements in Costco's point of sale process. First, they noticed that items under the shopping cart were sometimes overlooked by checkers, so I saw them install bar codes on the front of each shopping cart- just inches off the ground between the front two wheels. Each checker had to scan the bar code to show that they had checked the bottom for items and scanned them. This seemed to be an improvement and I imagine that this bar code could also be used to inventory the carts as well.

 This summer I took a working vacation to San Diego, California. Having spent a week there each year, for many years, I was impressed with the significant increase in number of app-based transportation rentals available all over the streets.

They often refer to Time as a female character. Indeed, she plays a significant role in the theatric drama we call Data Quality. A while back, I was in a hurry to get some updated retirement account balances and had to reset my password in order to get into my account. I provided my email account and requested the password reset, expecting an email to shortly follow with instructions and a hyperlink to change my password. The problem was that I didn’t get the email, with the link to reset the password, until the next day (long after I needed the information).

From January 23-25, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) conducted their annual count of unsheltered homeless with the help of more than 8000 volunteers. On the evening of the 24th, I joined the #TheyCountWillYou effort in Los Angeles to count the homeless in the city of Cudahy. As you’ll see in the description of steps conducted the process is thorough and intentional.

During a family visit to a local pumpkin patch (Uesugi Farms) this fall, I was looking for a gas station. The corner, just across from the Farm (yellow arrow below), was identified as a gas station on my car's GPS, but that was just a dirt parking lot. Google's satellite imagery shows this as well in the image below. There was, however, a Valero gas station just down the street, but even that didn't show up in Google's list of local gas stations (blue arrow).

In October, during my travels to the International Conference on Information Quality (ICIQ), held at the University of Arkansas Little Rock (UALR), I rented a Toyota Yaris from the Dollar rental car company. When I returned the Yaris, the friendly staff member casually asked if I had just driven around town, and I said yes, but asked why they were asking me.