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Do you consider yourself data driven? Do you use the data you have to make informed, strategic decisions? If so, you’re in good company. In fact, more than 80 percent of organizations believe that data is an integral part of forming their business strategy. With such an emphasis on making informed decisions, it’s really important to trust the data you’re working with. Right?

Effective communication with prospective, current, and former students is a top priority for universities. Communicating with potential students is particularly important given how many other colleges and universities are competing for their attention. Colleges want to provide current students with timely communication on classes, tuition payments, grades, sporting events, performances and more, and keep alumni up to date with university happenings, networking events, and fundraising campaigns. The University of North Texas (UNT) at Denton, known as the “Mean Green” in sports, realized that issues with the addresses in their database and duplicate records were potentially jeopardizing communications with students. 

There’s a lot on the line when it comes to your data quality. From regulation to revenue, it can make or break your company. While organizations today talk a lot about making data-driven decisions, we find that many of them lack the confidence in the quality of their data necessary to drive new initiatives. Given that C-level executives believe that 33 percent of their organizations’ data is inaccurate, it’s easy to understand why. Do you fully trust your data to make important decisions?

Master Data Management (MDM) is a huge buzzword in boardrooms around the world. Organizations today collect and generate massive amounts of data, and the belief is that MDM is required to make any sense of it. Many see MDM as this magical solution that allows business users to leverage business data. And they’re right. But that’s like saying you would hire Shaquille O'Neal just so he can help you replace light bulbs in high ceilings or clean the gutters.

Cyber security is a hot-button issue today. From allegations of election hacking to consumer credit card data being swiped from the nation’s largest retailers, one thing is certain: you can never be too secure with your handling of data. According to estimates by Juniper Research, cybercrime will costs businesses over $2 trillion by 2019.

As of January 22, 2017, the United States Postal Service (USPS) has implemented rate changes for mailing and shipping, which includes the first increase in the price of Forever stamps since January 2014. If you rely on these services to send coupons or get goods to customers, you should consider how the increased mailing and shipping costs will impact your prices and your bottom line.

In the past few months, we have had the wonderful opportunity to work with Data3Sixty, a technology company that focuses on active data governance. As we have been making the rounds at similar conferences, groups, and other events in the beautiful Boston area, it seemed obvious to continue the conversation and really understand how we can work together. We identified the opportunity to collaborate from a technology perspective and to capitalize on the mutual momentum in the marketplace around data quality and data governance. 

As we work to help our clients unlock the power of their data, Experian Data Quality is also committed to helping empower the next generation of data users. In that spirit, we launched a scholarship contest this year that prompts rising college seniors to show us how they use data in their daily lives. To enter, the students had to submit a one- to two-minute video and a short essay describing the importance of data quality. They had four months to prepare and submit their entries, with the promise of a $5,000 scholarship for the winning participant. 

Now that the busy holiday season is winding down and we’ve turned the calendar, retailers are refocusing their attention to driving sales in 2017. Retailers are always keen to hear what their peers and competitors were doing to improve customer experiences and drive sales. Here are five things those in the retail industry should keep top of mind in 2017. 

Several of our employees recently walked down the street and around the corner to participate in an afternoon of volunteerism with the Boston Rescue Mission.