Data Quality Magic
Jim HarrisIn previous posts I explained that, at least in regards to data quality, there are no magic beans, tooth fairies, or magic tricks.
However, and before I am branded a Muggle, I want to assure you that magic does indeed exist in the world of data quality.
The common mistake is looking for data quality magic in the wrong places. Historically, the quest begins with technology, and perhaps because of Clarke’s Third Law: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”
Data quality tools are often believed to be magic, and especially by their salespeople.
But data quality tools are not magic.
The quest continues with methodology, and perhaps because of the Hedgehogian dream of a single, all-encompassing theory, which provides the certainty and control that comes from “just following the framework.”
Data quality methodologies are also often believed to be magic, and especially by our data perfectionists.
But data quality methodologies are not magic.
This is where the quest typically ends, after believing in magic technology and/or magic methodology both fail, but usually not from a lack of repeatedly trying—and repeatedly failing.
So if data quality magic doesn’t come from either technology or methodology, where does it come from?
In the 1988 movie Willow, the title character fails the test to become an apprentice of the village wizard. The test was to choose which of the wizard’s fingers was the source of his magic—the correct answer was for Willow to choose his own finger.
Data quality magic comes from data quality magicians—from the People working on data quality initiatives, people who are united by trust and collaboration, guided by an adaptive methodology, and of course, enabled by advanced technology.
However, without question, the one and only source of Data Quality Magic comes from Data Quality People.
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Reader Comments (4)
Just wondering if we can push the analogy further, looking for a magic wand for data quality magicians.
In the Harry Potter universe, the wand is unique to the wizard and channels the individual magic force.
Is there anything like that?
Ah, I love this one: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”
Only you could combine Clarke and Willow.
Thanks for your comments, Augusto (aka Stray__Cat) and Phil.
@Stray__Cat — I was tempted to extend my Harry Potter reference (i.e., for the Muggles out there, a Muggle is the term from Harry Potter for someone lacking magical ability) to explain that data quality tools are not magic in and of themselves, but like the wand, as you said, channel the personal magic force of the wizard or witch who wields them.
I guess we could also extend the analogy to data quality methodology as well, making them textbooks of spells and potions, which are also not magic in and of themselves, but again require a person through which to channel their magical potential.
And the importance of people who are united by trust and collaboration is also an essential element in Harry Potter, e.g., the Order of the Phoenix. Hmmm . . . now I am considering a future Data Quality Tale loosely based on Harry Potter :-)
Over on the SmartData Collective, Ira Warren Whiteside commented:
“View from the DQ fourth dimension: Data quality magic comes from data quality magicians—from the People working on data quality initiatives(dirty data ditch diggers), people who are united by trust and collaboration (data quality biker gangs), guided by an adaptive methodology (meaning we simply change it when it does not work), and of course, enabled by advanced technology (really cool metadata driven crap or "Data Quality Rube Goldberg Machines" depending on vendor).
Ok just kidding, you wrote a great post, thought provoking, however there is a Data Quality Rube Goldberg post in you.”
And I replied:
Yes, I definitely have a Rube Goldberg Data Quality blog post in me, thanks for the great suggestion!