Metric Based Approach for Measuring Data Quality

Due to the increase in the predicaments of data handling, the need for improving the quality of data arises to reduce its insidious effects over the performance. If the cause of the hindrance is analyzed, it is better to commence the data quality improvement plan by assessing all the scenarios affected previously. Values for measuring the quality of data should be constituted in this. The quality of data should be measured so as to evaluate the importance of the information and how can it be improved. Nevertheless, the primitive matter is to understand that what and how quality should be measured as it is said, "if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it”. [Peter Drucker] The foremost step here is to focus on the elements of the data that are considered critical based on the needs of the user in the business. The quality of data can be measured and improved using the metrics methodology. This writing tries to represent how quality of can be quantified for selected dimension. At first, several requirements for defining a metric for measurement are stated. Furthermore, analysis of metrics is discussed with respect to the requirement of the company to improve data quality. After that, on the basis of available approaches, new metrics for the dimensions completeness and timeliness that meets the defined requirements are derived. Lastly, evaluation of the derived metric for timeliness is done in a case study.