Lesson 7 — Data Quality Operations
The DQ function becomes durable when the improvement work turns into an operational feedback loop.
Five operations sub-activities
1. Manage Data Quality Rules
Capture/discover, approve, document, version, change, implement, maintain, and gather feedback on rules. Mature organizations embed rule capture into development and enhancement rather than waiting for production profiling to infer expectations.
2. Measure and Monitor Data Quality
Repeatedly calculate rule-level conformance and aggregated results such as scorecards. Track trends and compare results with thresholds.
Assessment vs monitoring: initial assessment establishes the baseline; monitoring is recurring control after rules and operating processes exist. The same profiling technology can support both.
3. Develop Procedures for Managing Data Issues
A mature workflow includes: DETECT → RECORD/CLASSIFY → ASSIGN → ASSESS IMPACT/URGENCY → ESCALATE IF NEEDED → DIAGNOSE/RCA → OPTIONS → OWNER DECISION → IMPLEMENT → VERIFY/CLOSE → REPORT
Assignment sends work to a responsible expert. Escalation moves it upward when impact, duration, urgency, risk, or inability to resolve requires higher authority.
Diagnosis should trace symptoms/lineage, isolate where the defect enters, and identify process/system/external contributors.
Remediation options can include process change, system modification, preventive controls, added monitoring, direct correction, or even rationally accepting the condition when cost/value does not justify action.
4. Establish Data Quality SLAs
A DQ SLA connects quality expectations to operational response. It may include covered elements, business impact, dimensions/rules, measurement method, thresholds, notification, remediation deadlines, escalation, and rewards/penalties.
SLA vs scorecard: SLA = commitment. Scorecard = condition/status.
5. Data Quality Response
Provide role-appropriate scorecards, trends, SLA results, issue status, policy/Governance conformance, and business effects of improvements.
Raw exception rows alone are not adequate executive communication.
Operations loop
RULE → MEASURE → THRESHOLD → ISSUE/ALERT → ASSIGN/ESCALATE → DIAGNOSE → REMEDIATE → VERIFY → REPORT → MONITOR AGAIN
Source: pp. 445–450.