Data Cleaning

What is data cleaning?

Data cleaning can mean removing duplicate records, corrupt records, and correcting and completing information already held in a database.

It can help avoid waste in mailings, and improve customer service.

I have now created a new domain, which will be used to promote the data cleaning side of my business.
dataclean.uk.com

I am unusual because I am offering a complete service, we can take a list of contacts and companies from a database, process them, then merge the results back into the original database system. My many years of database experience helps greatly with this process, and it is a lot more efficient than manually checking the database.

Among the services I am offering am:

• Finding duplicates, and dealing with them appropriately so that no data is lost.
• Updating individuals and companies that have moved, so their new address is on your database.
• Noting people who have opted out of marketing sales calls. In the UK there can be a fine for calling private numbers that are registered on the TPS list, or for calling businesses that are registered on the CTPS list.
• If someone is registered on http://www.the-bereavement-register.org.uk/ our customer's database can be updated to indicate the person has died. Receiving mail for someone who has died can be very upsetting for the relatives, and can make a business seem heartless. With this information the business can respond appropriately.
• I can update records so that the addresses match the Post Office's official address format.
• I can enhance data, by looking up telephone numbers of individuals and companies, obtaining turnover and staffing levels, and by retrieving key contact details for businesses.

Because the process is done in bulk, and I take responsibility for merging the results back into the master database the whole process can be very fast and efficient.