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Covering Up Information Quality Programs

Published: August 13, 2008

Does your organization perform information quality scrap and rework, or do you have a proactive information quality culture?

We are in the process of replacing all of the windows in our house with triple-pane, argon gas insulated windows as part of our commitment to reduce our carbon footprint. As I observed the work crew on the first day, I noticed that they had overlooked three windows where the window sill had dry rot. The contract called for the crew to replace any dry rot, and I confirmed the requirement before the work crew began their work.

As I was reviewing their work, I noticed and called attention to the problem. As a result, the new work crew on day two had to perform “scrap and rework,” removing the installed windows and removing the dry rot. The first work crew was more interested in performing their work quickly than performing it correctly in the first place, leading to the need to go back and do rework on three windows that needed sills replaced.

This kind of scrap and rework happens in information quality as well as in construction and manufacturing.

Cover Up IQ Problems or Solve the Root Cause?

One way to handle IQ problems is to ignore them – and hope they go away or that someone else will not notice them. The fact of the matter is that someone downstream will notice and see their process fail as a result, just as I, the homeowner who has to live in the house long after the work crews install the windows, did.

A better way to solve the problem is to identify the root cause of the problem and attack the root cause. All the time, I see information producers creating duplicate customer records or omitting data that is using defaults because they are rewarded for speed and not cost of ownership of the defects left in the data that cause downstream processes to fail.

The Japanese use a technique I call “Why? Analysis.” When they see a problem, they ask “Why?” five times to get from the precipitating cause to the root cause. If we use this on information quality problems, we will be able to define process improvements that truly solve the problem by eliminating the causes of the defective information.

Conclusion

Ignoring IQ problems will only exacerbate them. Attacking the precipitating causes will sub-optimize any improvement. But attacking the root causes will enable us to transform our organizations into a proactive IQ culture that can lead the enterprise to world-class status.

Try it and let me hear your feedback and experiences at Larry.English@infoimpact.com

To a high IQ!

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