Digital Transformation Rule 11- “Data is the new air”

For the good of customers, communities, management and staff,?my Golden rule 11?is probably the one that the social housing sector needs to embrace most - “Data is the new air”. This is because most successful businesses consider good quality data insight vital to business health and survival.

Most social housing providers are data rich, but insight poor. This has to change.

If data management transformation does not proceed more general digital business transformation, in our experience it will fail.

To succeed, it is essential that your data is accurate, available and secure. This is not only a fundamental component of successful digital engagement, but will also help provide both the information you need to run your business effectively and ensure both good governance and compliance. I quick look at regulatory downgrades will demonstrates how poor data is generally the cause.

1.??????Ensure your?data is complete and accurate?– data cleansing support and tools are available for this and indeed now required for Regulatory compliance. 3C use the Data Logic data quality assurance tool, which if used properly provides all you should need. Here is a link?3C-Data-Logic-Brochure.pdf (3cconsultants.co.uk)

2.??????Ensure?data held in multiple systems is consistent?so that there is just one version of the truth – map the data and gather it into a single location if need be. Again, a tool like Data Logic can help achieve this.

3.??????Ensure that?data is held in the right place and in the right format?– review your data, complete an audit of data sources, provide data definitions and standards and create a strategy for data management. Again Data Logic helps solve this problem.

4.??????Ensure that you have?reports that give you truly valuable information?that you can act upon – carefully consider and specify your reporting requirements and only then develop the reports.

A prediction: I sincerely believe that?within the next few years every HA will see some form of automated data quality