INDEX | ORGANISATION | TIME LINE | PEOPLE | STORY | RESEARCH METHOD | COMMENTARY | FINDINGS | HELP | BOTTOM

Why was the quality of the data poor?: Responsibility for data quality

Although the problems of data quality were regarded by the development team as the users' responsibility (00398), they did build tasks into the plans for phase II for helping with data quality (00446, 01021). While Jenny was committed to getting the data right, there are indications other management people on the user side were not fully committed to the kind of data accuracy that was needed ('we don't deal in precise numbers, it's millions of pounds' - 01113, 00661, 00831) and Jenny did not have sufficient clout on her own (00362). Moreover, until the data audit, the quality of data being input by underwriters was not being monitored (00819, 00836) so the full extent of the problem was not known in the UK and Holland (00104).

The response to these problems, following the revelations of the data audit, was to appoint someone more senior from underwriting management to have personal responsibility for getting the data right (01076, 00846). However at my last meeting, the development team had just been hammered by the Finance Director for not assuming more responsibility over data quality (00875) and there were concerns that if the data issues were not resolved then the MD would withdraw his support for the system (01112).

Social influence:
Technical influence:
System characteristics: Data

Commentary
Social influence
Technical influence

INDEX | ORGANISATION | TIME LINE | PEOPLE | STORY | RESEARCH METHOD | COMMENTARY | FINDINGS | HELP | TOP

© Clare Tagg 2000