Managing data throughout your organization can be overwhelming. Do you have the right people in place? Do you have the right technology? Do your processes make sense?

My clients often ask me: "If I could only do one thing to improve my data management, what should it be?" My answer: "Weed the garden."

What I mean by "weed the garden" is to do everything in your power to make sure the data in your primary system is as clean as it can be. That means things like creating data integrity reports and using them and getting rid of old data.

Of course, all of this is meant to help you avoid the data management cycle of doom.

Having clean data is the foundation for the rest of your data management success. So if you haven't already, start weeding that garden!