Businesses in the era of big data need data validation to show that the information they use is correct, timely, and lawful. If organizations fail to gain access to the right resources, they may end up with huge losses, low productivity, and legal consequences. In this guide, we will present some data validation tools that can be considered as basics that provide ease and automation to the data validation process.
What are data validation tools?
Data validation tools are defined as those software solutions that aim at verifying the consistency and quality of data by comparing the data against prescribed rules. These tools are important in handling large sets of data because they help in detecting errors, duplications, and inconsistencies in the data that would feed into decision-making or analysis.
improve.app
The IMPROVE app makes data validation simple and efficient. It allows you to upload files containing your company data and receive a comprehensive report on their accuracy. As users validate customer lists, business data, or supplier data, IMPROVE does most of the work of cleaning, formatting, adding missing, and standardizing the data. Visit the application at: https://improve.infobelpro.com/en
Key Features of IMPROVE App:
- File Upload Simplicity
It means that this data validation tool allows you to work with your data by simply and intuitively dragging and dropping your files. - Comprehensive Checks
IMPROVE scans your data for accuracy, data integrity, and suitable format to meet business needs and deploys it. - Customizable Rules
Depending on your particular business needs, IMPROVE allows you to specify what it means for data to be valid allowing it to be used according to your needs for your company. - Batch Validation
Automate the checking of thousands of records at a go and lessen the time that will take to clean the records.
Example
Some of the data validation tools that a logistics company could employ in its operations could include IMPROVE, a solution that enables a logistics company to upload supplier details and validate contact information, logistics addresses, and logistics contract dates frequently to ensure a delayed logistics chain.
Company Information API
Another powerful data validation tool is the Company Information API which aims to check more than 460 kinds of information about a single organization. Getting this API means that it is easy to fit into your existing setting to enable real-time validation, disrupting your workflow in the process. More information on this API: https://www.infobelpro.com/en/data-apis/company-information-api
- Example
It can be used by marketing departments to check the accuracy of campaign data, e.g. to confirm that customer segmentation is correct before launching campaigns, or by companies for billing purposes to check that the company exists, or for background checks.
TIBCO Clarity
TIBCO Clarity is a data preparation tool that is used to validate and clean data. It is easy to use, and even people with little or no technical background can easily validate large volumes of data.
- Key Feature:
Web-based tool that can be used for simple and complex data validation tasks across an organization TIBCO Claritation. - Example
This data validation tool can be used by a call centre to check that contact details (phone, email, social media addresses) are up to date.
Data Ladder
Data Ladder offers specific data validation tools for data cleansing, merging, and scrubbing. It is useful for organizations that need to consolidate and eliminate duplicate data in various platforms.
- Key Feature:
Sophisticated fuzzy matching techniques used in the process guarantee high levels of accuracy when combining data from multiple sources. - Example
Data Ladder can be used by a nonprofit organization to check the accuracy of donor databases for fundraising campaigns and eliminate duplicate entries.
Experian Data Quality
Experian’s tool provides a wide range of validation services with a special emphasis on customer data. Its data quality suite enables organizations to verify email addresses, phone numbers, and physical addresses, thus minimizing mistakes in customer databases.
- Key Feature:
The validation of customer data as the data is being entered in a form or at the time of purchase. - Example
An e-commerce company could use Experian’s validation tool to check customers’ shipping details to minimize cases of failed deliveries.
Search.app Global Company Finder
Search.app is sort of Google but for companies, so it behaves like a search engine where you can find actual and valid information on global companies. You can easily use their advanced search to find (and at the same time to validate) company information: https://search.infobelpro.com/en/
Google Sheets Data Validation
Key Feature: This data validation tool enables users to limit the type of data that can be entered in any given cell, or the range of values that is possible, like dates, numbers, or text only, or a list from which one can select, and many more.
- Example
A project manager creates a list of statuses in Google Sheets as a drop-down list for tasks, for example, “Not Started,” “In progress,” and “Done.” The data validation also makes it possible for team members to pick one value provided on the drop list, thus avoiding the entry of wrong or irregular values.
Excel Data Validation
Key Feature: It has a basic and effective Microsoft Excel feature that enables users to create entry validations, formats (dates, numbers), or values that must be entered into a cell.
- Example
In the Excel environment, a user creates a constraint that restricts the entries to a particular column to any number between one and one hundred. Whenever a value beyond this range is keyed, Excel gives an error message to the user to allow only the right data to be entered.
DataCleaner
This data validation tool assists in pointing out the quality of the data for example; duplicity, missing values, or even format inappropriateness.
- Key Feature:
It is an open-source tool for data validation developed for profiling, cleaning, and analyzing big data. - Example
A healthcare provider employs DataCleaner to check the records of various clinics from a patient’s perspective. The tool removes any records with similar patient IDs and points out differing formats in dates to make their records consistent within their database.
Apache NiFi
Apache NiFi data validation tool assists in validating data as real-time data by defining the acceptable values to be entered.
- Key Feature:
It is a data validation tool used in data integration where data can be checked for validity and transformed in the course of passing through the data flow. - Example
A logistics company employs Apache NiFi to read and verify telemetry data coming from the delivery trucks in real time. NiFi checks the arriving data against the defined setpoints (e.g., temperature values) and excludes data that falls outside the set range from the real-time monitoring systems.
Selecting the Right Data Validation Tool
The decision on which data validation tool to use depends on the type, size, and nature of the data you are working on. Here’s a quick guide to help you decide:
- Data Volume
If your business processes large amounts of data daily, tools with real-time validation or batch will be critical. - Integration
If you already work with particular CRM or ERP systems, you will need a validation tool compatible with these systems. - Global vs. Local
For organizations that engage in cross-border operations, there are products that contain multi-country data cleansing capabilities. - User-Friendly Options
For teams with less technical expertise, there are tools with simple interfaces.
Conclusion
Data validation is not a luxury but a necessity for any business that needs clean, accurate, and reliable data. Whether you are working with a few records or millions of records, data validation tools such as our IMPROVE app and Company Information API allow you to have the necessary freedom and strength to keep your data accurate.
By integrating data validation into your processes, you not only achieve process effectiveness but also regulatory requirements. The right tool for the right job will eliminate mistakes, protect your business from costly blunders, and improve decision-making.
When you begin with IMPROVE and Company Information API, you have the basis for accurate, validated data, and when you look at other tools such as Informatica or Talend, you can build a validation plan that scales with your business.
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