Mining for Gold: Data Cleansing Strategies for Maximizing BI Insights and Potential

There’s a reason it’s called Big Data—the intelligence gathered across the plethora of interactions performed across the Internet of Things (IoT) is massive. While its potential for business transformation is equally huge, sorting through it all can be challenging, especially when integrating information from multiple legacy systems into a centralized CRM portal.

The result? Data integrity often drops, affecting work performance across the enterprise, and while such incidents are risky, they’re hardly isolated. In fact, according to a recent industry survey, 60 percent of IT leaders believe their organizations lack accountability for data quality.

Sorting it Out: Tools to Jumpstart a Data Cleansing Strategy

While it can be tempting to start all over from scratch when integrating data, most databases don’t require a complete overhaul, but rather a thorough scrubbing. Known as data cleansing, the process of removing any data that is inaccurate, outdated, duplicated, and incomplete, among other negative factors, can not only save hours of future hunting and guesswork, but also helps pull out elements of top value, so employees can quickly access the information they need on a daily and mission-critical basis.

While what stays, what goes, and what gets shifted around to a new location is entirely different for each company, there are some key tools designed to help you maximize your data cleansing routine, no matter where you may be in the process.

One such tool is the Salesforce App Exchange. Providing access to more than 2,500 apps, the AppExchange is the world’s leading business app marketplace, featuring apps customized for Salesforce CRM integrations. Many apps are designed specifically to help with data cleansing, including ones to block duplicates, cleanse import files, merge and convert records, and even back up data. According to Bluewolf’s 2014-2015 State of Salesforce Survey, data cleansing is the second largest budgeted initiative for marketers, as 70% will invest in a data cleansing tool from the AppExchange, marking a 52% increase from the previous year.

Another helpful tool is Salesforce’s Data.com platform, which allows users tp organize data, such as lead information, right inside Salesforce. This portal provides visibility and real-time updates not available through disparate legacy systems, and because it’s a one-stop-shop for all stakeholders, its centrality helps keep account data clean, complete, and accessible.

The Right Tools for the Job: Connecting Employees with the Data They Need

Your employees are on the go—whether they’re in the field or in the office—and access to accurate data is critical to their ability to connect with customers, make intelligent business decisions, and market product and service offerings effectively. By leveraging tools specifically designed to make the data cleansing process easier, companies can help set the stage for long-term growth—and save valuable time and resources in the process.

Sources:

“The Annual State of Salesforce 2014-2015,” Bluewolf, p. 15. http://www.bluewolf.com/state-of-salesforce.

“Develop a Data Policy to Capitalize on the Promise of Big Data,” TEKsystems, http://www.teksystems.com/resources/research/featured-research/data-and-bi-trends/big-data.

Tokara Solutions

As President and founder of Tokara Solutions, Shawn Grant has over 20 years of experience in enterprise CRM design and delivery. Shawn remains instrumental in providing CRM and Marketing Automation products and services for companies in the Financial Services, Manufacturing, Public Utilities, Home Builders/Real Estate Services, and Land Title Industry. Consequently, he continues to look forward to providing his knowledge within the CRM industry by writing for our company blog. From integration to implementation, Shawn’s unmatched CRM experience provides us with exceptional insight through Tokara Solutions’ blogs.

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