One of the issues we often encounter with the files we receive from clients is that of incomplete data. When values are missing altogether, or are contained in the wrong fields, we have developed a set of automatic processes that can help enhance the quality and completeness of that data in MasterVision. It may not be magic, but the transformations that tricks like these can produce are still quite impressive!
Interpreting email domains
One example is if an individual has registered using
only their email address, in some cases we are able to infer their country information from the email domain. For instance, an email address such as ‘someone@email.es’ indicates that person is most likely from Spain, and we can fill in the missing ‘Country’ value in that individual’s record.
As well as providing useful country info, an email domain might also suggest an affiliation with a particular organisation. For example, the email address ‘person@leeds.ac.uk’ indicates an association with the University of Leeds, thus enabling us to complete that individual’s ‘Organisation’ field if it is empty.
Right data, wrong field
Another issue we can address is that of ‘right data, wrong field’, including fields that contain multiple pieces of information. So if an individual’s first and last name details were entered in the same box on an online form, we can use intelligent assessment of that field’s contents, and split the values out into the correct separate ‘name’ fields (allowing for known exceptions such as double barrelled names).
Similarly, if an institution’s name has been included with the first line of a postal address, we can automatically assess the data and move the relevant part into the correct ‘Institution name’ field.
These are just some of the techniques we can use to help improve the quality and breadth of customer data using one or two key fields. It’s possible to take this one step further and ‘cross-pollinate’ blanks using data from other sources to further enhance a customer’s record. Of course, to do so it helps to bring all your customer data sources together in one place – via a service such as MasterVision.
This is just one of the potential benefits of incorporating all your data in MasterVision’s single customer view.
The DataSalon Blog 