Signal-to-noise ratio
Signal-to-noise ratio, formally used, applies to electricity and engineering, and refers to how much of a desired signal is being received, versus how much background noise is coming through.
The same thing applies to your database. The signal is your good data; the noise is your bad data. I've argued for years that the higher your signal-to-noise ratio in your database, the more likely you are to enter the cycle of doom, where staff will no longer trust the data, and stop using it. Bad data, including outdated contacts, is noise.
In order to improve your signal-to-noise ratio, you need to continually monitor and clean your data. Here are some ways you might do that.
![]()
Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives
Action produces information
Action produces information “Action produces information. If you’re unsure of what to do, just do […]
Why a single source of truth is so beneficial…
Why a single source of truth is so beneficial… The holy grail of data management is […]
Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should
Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should I’ve worked in and with associations for well […]
Data doesn’t need to be perfect to be useful
Data doesn’t need to be perfect to be useful “Your data doesn’t have to be […]
Don’t just clean data, clean reports and queries
Don’t just clean data, clean reports and queries One of the reasons I exhort my […]
Don’t forget, your staff have day jobs…
Don’t forget, your staff have day jobs… The vast majority of my work is finite […]
Beware the automated “How did we do?” trap!
Beware the automated “How did we do?” trap! One of the downsides of technology is […]
Hindsight is 20/20
Hindsight is 20/20 I’m currently working with a client that is moving from their legacy […]
Cheaper now; costlier later.
Cheaper now; costlier later. Most of my clients are very cost-conscious, understandably. After all, who […]
The unified shopping cart: Dreams vs. reality
The unified shopping cart: Dreams vs. reality One of the more common requests I hear […]
