What is data cleansing and why is it important?

If you run an established online business, you will collect a lot of data from your customers over time. However, the same information can become outdated and you might need to delete it or review some parts. Data cleansing represents a process that fixes all the errors, removes duplicate elements and makes the entire system properly formatted.

Why does data cleansing matter?

When you have updated information everywhere, you will deliver a better service to your customers and it will be simpler to move your company in the right direction. According to Forbes, 27% of business leaders aren’t sure how much of their data is accurate. This will become a problem in time, especially when it comes to payments and deliveries. Data is also a critical factor for protection legislation such as GDPR.

How does this process work?

Data cleansing involves multiple steps. The first one would be to find what’s missing, to make sure this would not create issues. After that, brands have to validate the existing information and ensure changes didn’t happen. Finally, there are adjustments and redressing mistakes creates a stable structure. Data cleansing should be made all at once, but not after a long period of time. Instead, organizations must analyze their current positions and find a strategy that works in the same scenario.

What are the benefits of data cleansing?

Regular cleansing is the best solution to avoid high costs related to technical errors and incorrect information. For instance, just imagine how it would be to send a delivery to an incorrect address and then being forced to pay for the same activity. At a large scale, this will hurt financial results. 

Other reasons to do data cleansing:

• Managing a multichannel environment: This must be done without having to worry about customer acquisition.
• Make better decisions: Clean data is a key element in any analytics tools, because it helps business owners make better decisions.
• Increase productivity: After incorrect data is updated, your employees won’t have to deal with irrelevant information. Consequently, their job becomes easier and productivity is increased.

What happens when data isn’t cleansed?

For the most part, tools that examine customers will show faulty information. This event leads to missguided strategies and missed opportunities, things that can turn into a loss of revenue. Data cleansing corrects misspellings and typographical errors, syntax mistakes, missing values and numerical entries. Elements such as terms and identifiers might also be changed to guarantee accuracy. After all the steps are completed, someone must examine the data again to verify its cleanliness.

How can data cleansing be automated?

Although you can do this process manually, the easiest way is through a software built to simplify all the tasks. That’s why we encourage you to check out Boardana.com. To get started, see how accurate your data is and then cleanse everything. We’ll provide you with all the integrations you need and it’s free to start!