Experian data quality update

Experian is a large information services provider with over $6 billion in annual revenue, best known for its credit information reports. It is also a leading data quality software provider. The data quality products are rooted in name and address validation, but it has long since expanded those offerings. Experian Aperture Data Studio, launched in 2018, now has a wide range of functionality, from data profiling through to data matching, cleaning, discovery and enrichment.

In its most recent release, Experian Aperture Data Studio has extended its profiling capability. The tool highlights the most relevant information in the statistical analysis of a dataset, such as revealing an unusual data format or when a particular value falls outside normal parameters. Machine learning is used to identify potential duplicate records, such as overlapping customer records in different systems. Artificial intelligence techniques now suggest new business rules and can identify previously unknown data issues.

The latest software version now offers more in terms of alerting users to data exceptions or when data falls outside defined business rules. The software does not just send an alert but will detect if the data issues are later fixed in the source system.

The software offers more support to data stewards and data governance. The blurring of traditional boundaries has been noticeable in the last year, with some data governance products now offering some data quality functionality. Many data quality tools have long offered some support for data governance workflow. This is an indication of a maturing industry. Customers often want more of their data management functionality within a single suite, rather than dealing with a patchwork of vendors across ETL, data quality, MDM and data governance.