What's the easiest way to streamline data quality assessment?

The key lies in recognizing and communicating the dual nature of DQ. One side is Pipeline level DQ and the other is related to actual Data Content. The pivotal factor lies in the purpose and the intended users of the DQ solution. Developers and data engineers are more inclined towards the technical/pipeline level nuances – monitoring data flows, query performance, storage usage, and the like. On the flip side, business stakeholders and stewards are engrossed in the substance – the data itself. They yearn to ensure that the data aligns with the criteria essential for crafting those top-level CXO reports. Have a clear perspective of what you are trying assess before proceeding with a DQ assessment.

One of the most common and easier approaches to automate checks is through a Data Quality Platform- But it's essential to evaluate what you expect from a platform before procuring it. It gets messier with the platform landscape as no single vendor exists today that can do everything in terms of Data Quality. For example, Data observability tools tend to target the developer domain, hence they often find themselves portrayed as IT tools. But these tools might not quite hit the mark for our business enthusiasts. They might find these tools a tad less user-friendly and insufficient to serve up those critical insights, something that can be found in traditional DQ tools. Try to find the right balance between the two before selecting a tool.

The most important aspect in my opinion is putting the right people in place: Like picking the right players for a game, the job of handling DQ depends on who's best suited for it. The business-oriented facet of DQ often rests in the capable hands of a centralized DQ team, usually an integral part of the Data Governance structure. They're the ones who make sure the data is spot-on for business needs and ensure that the metrics that matter are diligently tracked and interpreted. The IT side folks can either use the available DQ platform on-a need basis or integrate it as part of their data flows to ensure pipeline queries are adequately working. It's easier said than done, ese your Data Literacy sessions to promote this understanding.