Garbage in, gospel out

Garbage in, gospel out

We've all heard the phrase "Garbage in, garbage out." If the data entered into the system is bad, any reports coming out of it will be bad. Simple.

But what about "Garbage in, gospel out"? (I first heard this from my father.) Translated, this is reflected in the attitude of "If the system says it is so, it must be."

We've probably all encountered this with a consumer goods company when the customer service rep says "Sir, my records show your service is working fine," as I sit on my end with no internet service.

The antidote to Garbage in, Gospel out is "Trust, but verify." It's ok to assume your data reports are good, as long as you've verified they are good! One way to verify your data is through the use of data integrity reports.

Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives

Don’t do that…

November 4, 2026

Don’t do that… One of my very favorite pieces of advice to give clients is […]

A harsh truth about your members…

October 28, 2026

A harsh truth about your members… Just over 20 years ago, the book “He’s Just Not […]

Should you chug or sip?

October 21, 2026

Should you chug or sip? I was recently meeting with two staff at a client […]

Why bother with a consultant when I have AI?

October 14, 2026

Why bother with a consultant when I have AI? As AI becomes increasingly powerful, the […]

Guardrails can be helpful!

October 7, 2026

Guardrails can be helpful! When selecting a new AMS, I find my clients are often […]

“If you knew this information, what might you do differently?”

September 30, 2026

“If you knew this information, what might you do differently?” I had a conversation with […]

Showing is not teaching

September 23, 2026

Showing is not teaching In my experience, when new staff members are taught how to […]

Data management is improvisation

September 16, 2026

Data management is improvisation I was listening to a podcast recently featuring TV writer Rob […]

Who own the AMS company is like the weather…

September 9, 2026

Who own the AMS company is like the weather… When I work with clients to […]

“As good or better than me.”

September 2, 2026

“As good or better than me.” I was recently speaking with a software developer working […]

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top