Data provides real-time insight

Google's recent announcement of its data mining service has brought renewed attention to the importance of data quality. As more companies develop sophisticated analytical tools, they are finding it gives them increased mobility in the market.

Companies are using data to help drive innovation in everything from process management to employee training to product design and marketing. The ability to collect and sift through massive piles of data has provided companies ways to identify cost savings and increase efficiency. Those with the most accurate information are able to gain a better understanding of  changing market conditions.

Clear data can provide a real-time picture of a manufacturing process that can help identify downtime, redundancy issues, material costs and more. The use of Big Data has uses in other fields as well, providing insight into customer needs or a vendor bidding process.

As the uses of data mining increase, the importance of the information's accuracy also improves. Companies need to ensure their data quality in ways that help streamline the information and create an efficient review process. Skewed measurements can lead to make million dollar mistakes. Data management software can help reduce the error rate of data collection and keep the real-time statistics accurate.