The issue of data quality on data-driven strategies: Challenges and best practices

Abstract

In the digitalised economy of today we are witnessing an era in which companies, from any sector, are collecting huge volumes of digital information. In a competitive context in which the analysis of data promises strategic advantages, the issue of data quality is more important than ever. Better data quality is needed not only because it drives to better decisions, but also because surging regulatory requirements increase the pressure on companies for more transparency and higher-quality standards of information. This qualitative research tries to identify the main issues related to data quality for organisations aiming at becoming more data-driven. The paper explore how companies understand the concept of data quality and propose best practices used to overcome the issue related to poor data quality. The results suggest that from a strategic point of view data quality is a matter of communication, corporate policies and alignment to business objectives rather than a technology issue.