Gain an overview of data verification and validation, the methods and techniques used to keep data clean as well as new business practices in the industry that help in maintaining data quality and preventing data decay. Adopt new approaches of “Think Blue” and “Think Green”, in order to create a pollution free virtual environment. Check out more - http://www.infocheckpoint.com/Images/pdf/Expand-your-Enterprise-Exponentially-whitepaper.pdf

1. 2012
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2. Data Verification and Validation | February 2012
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..….1
Why Data Verification and Validation is Important……………………………………………..……………….3
DATA VERIFICATION AND VALIDATION DEFINED ……………………………………………..……………………..4
DATA LAUNDERING MECHANISM ……………………………………………………………………………………………………..5
NEW BUSINESS PRACTICES ..................................................................................................................... 4
CLOUD BASED DATA VERIFICATION ...................................................................................................... 8
CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................................. 9
SUMMARY
This whitepaper aims to provide enterprises with an overview of data verification and
validation, the methods and techniques used to keep data clean as well as new business
practices in the industry that help in maintaining data quality and preventing data decay. It also
aims to encourage enterprises to extend new approaches of “Think Blue” and “Think Green”, in
order to create a pollution free virtual environment.
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3. Data Verification and Validation | February 2012
Is data driving your dynamic business environment?
Is accurate data important in business decision making?
Is verified data relevant if valid?
Is validated data relevant if accurate?
If your answer is yes to the questions above, you will definitely understand the basis of why
data verification and validation is considered two sides of the same coin.
While new age concepts of ‘Think Green’ and ‘Think Blue’ are focused on conserving and
‘cleaning’ the environment, a similar drive on the Internet needs to be explored to obliterate
data dumps and create a pollution free virtual space.
INTRODUCTION
Verification + Validation = Valuable
Data is the heart of every organization and is an integral aspect in enabling decision making.
The importance of accurate data is explicit in the fact that strategies devised based on incorrect
data indefinitely leads to inconsistent decision making. If data sustains the life of enterprises,
accuracy drives processes and strategies in the right direction.
Accurate and updated data is vital for organizations across industries and relevant to business
developers, sales professionals, marketers, market researchers, recruiters and enterprises;
whether it is required to find updated and targeted sales leads for your team, or to increase ROI
from marketing investments or to screen verified candidates while headhunting.
The need for data quality has rapidly increased however not many people or enterprises know
how to obtain or maintain quality data. As per Google search statistics, there are 135,000
searches every month globally for the term “data quality”, however there are only 2,900
searches for the term “data quality tools". That is only 2 percent!
There are advanced processes and technologies in place, although enterprises usually do not
have the time and resources to implement them and therefore prefer data maintenance and
management through experts from data service companies.
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4. Data Verification and Validation | February 2012
How Accurate Data Accelerates Business Processes
Why Data Verification and Validation is Important
B2B data is integral to enterprises and it not only should be accurate but updated too. When
was the last time your database was updated? Did you know that in a year almost 25% of your
data goes stale? According to MarketingSherpa, an average of 2.1% of contact details change
every month!
To gain a better understanding on the extent to which data decays, the seminar presented by
John M. Coe, President and Founder of The Sales and Marketing Institute on ‘B2B Data Decay –
The Untold Story’, provides many insights.
Contact B2B Data Decay (Yearly)
42.9 Change in Job Function
41.9 Change in Phone Number
65.8 Change in Address
37.3
Change in Email Address
3.8 34.2 Change in Company Name
Change in Name
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5. Data Verification and Validation | February 2012
Other Reasons for B2B Data Decay (Yearly)
29.6
Change in position of individuals within Companies
Change in Jobs by Individuals
41.2 12.3
Change in Location of the Company
4.6
Change in Company Name (eg. Merger)
While these numbers indicate a high percentage of changes in data on a yearly basis, it also
points to the fact that either you have updated data or not have data at all. To emphasize the
importance of accurate and relevant data, consider this, with B2B databases decaying around
30 percent every year, you will technically be spending a third of annual sales and marketing
budget on nothing but dead information!
DATA VERIFICATION AND VALIDATION DEFINED
Verification is Valid when
Validation is Verified!
A basic definition of data verification is a process that ensures that data is correct and error
free. The data verification process is entirely factual and does not focus on the significance of
the result. This is where data validation is important, which is a process that ensures data is
logical and reasonable.
For instance, if you need to identify key business contacts in the automotive industry based in
Detroit, a relevant search result will provide details of Managers, D (Director) Level, V (Vice
President) Level and C (CEO) Level contacts located in Detroit in the automotive industry.
However, if the data is not verified and validated, you will find results of key business people in
the automotive industry located in Washington or contacts based in Detroit from a different
industry.
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6. Data Verification and Validation | February 2012
DATA LAUNDERING MECHANISM
Clean Up Clutter, Make Space
For Data that Counts!
Verification is conducted to ensure data entered is true to the original source. Some of the
methods used include:-
Proof Reading – data is checked by manually comparing it with the original
document.
Double Entry Checks – where data is reentered and the two copies are compared
for discrepancies.
Other methods also include phone and email verification.
While manual methods may be time consuming and expensive, new software technologies
have been developed to automate the data verification process, proving to be cost effective as
well as faster.
Validation is conducted to qualify the logic of the content within a reasonable framework or
parameters. It is a process that is computer generated using codes to validate a range of data.
Some of the validation codes or checks commonly used are:-
Validation Code
Function Examples of Usage
/ Check
Searches for spelling errors through a
Spell Check When word processing
search from the dictionary
Checks that the data is within a certain When a password needs to be of a
Length Check
number of characters particular length
Checks if the data is entered in the right When bank account numbers or
Format Check
format insurance numbers are entered
Presence Check Checks that key fields have data entered When certain fields are mandatory
There are only 24 hours in a day and 7
Lookup Check Checks for acceptable or logical values
days in a week
Checks for values that need to be entered Specific parameters within which data
Range Check
within a certain range needs to be entered.
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7. Data Verification and Validation | February 2012
Verification and validation applied in combination provides for quality assurance and is highly
recommended for any enterprise or professional utilizing data to make decisions or develop
strategies.
NEW BUSINESS PRACTICES
Crowdsourcing
Crowdsourcing is a community driven concept wherein data is contributed by users. Various
groups and people provide information such as email addresses, phone numbers and social
media profiles. This source provides unlimited amount of data and information, making it
possible build databases that could effectively utilized.
From ‘Crowdsourcing’ to ‘Changesourcing’
While crowdsourcing is the way to go currently, data service companies are taking it a step
further with a new approach of ‘changesourcing’. Users are not only encouraged to contribute
information, they are also urged to constantly update the information provided. Utilizing the
community-driven concept of contribution, this approach includes updating information as
well.
Why Download when you can View
In lines with being conscious of the conservation of the virtual space environment, sometimes it
is unnecessary to download an entire dataset. Why clutter you disk space with data that will
never be used?
Data service companies are providing the option where users can view some of the contacts
before downloading a whole dataset. This makes it easier for the user in saving time and
resources on downloading and browsing through entire database that may not have been
relevant in the first place.
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8. Data Verification and Validation | February 2012
CLOUD BASED DATA VERIFICATION
Revolutionalize your Approach to Data
Management, Cleanse Data in The Cloud!
The Internet provides a seamless environment for exchange of services and resources beyond
boundaries. Then why should data quality management limit itself? Joining the band wagon of
cloud computing, data quality service companies in addition to the traditional on-premise
management are moving further to offer verification through the cloud.
If you are wondering, what is the meaning of this much spoken of ‘cloud’? The cloud basically
acts as a metered service on the Internet, where computing is provided more as a service than
as a product. It is a network space (such as the Internet), wherein computers and other devices
can utilize software, information and shared resources, offered as a metered service. The
dynamic nature of this data center environment enables data service companies provide not
only on-premise data quality management, but cloud-based verification as well.
Currently, verification is the only kind of data service offered in the cloud, wherein verification
of names, addresses, phone number and checks with the do-not-call registry is provided. Data
service companies are in the process of integrating cloud based verification systems and are
looking beyond only data verification in the cloud. The cloud based approach to data
management is definitely a huge benefit to enterprises and management of CRM Systems. The
cloud being a vast repository of information, the next step would be integrating information on
the cloud into business processes.
CONCLUSION
Transform Data to Insightful Information
As Data is an integral part of any business process for all enterprises and professionals, quality
should be of highest priority; quality in terms of data accuracy, relevancy and being up-to-date.
Data needs to be collected, compiled, organized and maintained in a way that it provide
insightful information. New processes and technologies have been developed to maintain
‘clean and green’ databases, one which has data that is accurate as well updated.
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9. Data Verification and Validation | February 2012
The way forward is to integrate data quality management into business processes and
enterprises.
Data dumps need to be deleted,
Data decay needs to be obliterated,
Data quality needs to be nurtured,
For a cleaner, pollution free virtual space environment!
ABOUT INFO CHECKPOINT
Info CheckPoint is a preferred provider of credible business to business (B2B) information, database
management, and marketing and sales solutions. The company manages, maintains and monitors an
extensive database of people, companies and industries. The database contains over 15 million people,
2 million companies in 80,000 industry sectors. Business information that is archived through crowd
sourcing is converted to high quality, verified, accurate and relevant data. With an objective to enable
customizable prospecting and speed in decision making, Info CheckPoint also facilitates companies align
their marketing and sales strategies through B2B intelligent data techniques.
Contact Information
Phone: 800-662-2980
Email: support@infocheckpoint.com
www.infocheckpoint.com
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