Data quality is crucial when planning large IT projects

Before beginning a large-scale IT project, companies need to make sure they've planned thoroughly, laying the groundwork for what work needs to be done and how it will be financed and completed. Data quality is of the essence - businesses need to conduct thorough investigations of what resources they have to work with, and their findings must be accurate and verifiable.

It's important that companies focus on data quality from the start, rather than collect information first and verify it later. If companies are working with highly accurate knowledge from the very beginning, they'll be able to steer clear of such problems as delays, budget complications and lost functionality.

According to IT Web, many companies today are embarking on projects that are highly data-intensive, and they need to focus on quality in order to complete these tasks effectively. Gary Allemann of Master Data Management, says that using the right data can help companies stay on task, on schedule and on budget.

"It is vital to bring the data stream into play from the early stages of planning a solution," Allemann stated. "When implementing a new system, the majority of organizations focus their attention on the functional components, with some attention given to change management, training and behavior modification, particularly on bigger projects with a large user base. However, the data stream tends to be overlooked, although it is equally critical to project success."

Companies are often armed with vast databases of internal information about their operations. Such solutions as customer relationship management, master data management and enterprise resource planning are all major contributors of such data. If business leaders want to complete their IT projects effectively, they need to fully take advantage of these resources. High-quality data can help companies upgrade their technologies effectively.