Our Methodology

Transparent, documented process from discovery through ongoing maintenance. Data quality through accountability.

A Systematic Approach

Every engagement follows the same disciplined process. Identify the question. Inventory the sources. Gather and clean. Validate. Get approval. Implement. Maintain.

Phase 1: Discovery & Inventory

  1. Identify the question and intended use. What data do you need? How will it be used? What decisions does it support?
  2. Inventory all sources. Where does this data live? Spreadsheets, databases, PDFs, emails, staff knowledge?
  3. Document source characteristics. What format is each source? How often is it updated? Who maintains it? What are the known limitations?
  4. Create data dictionary. What does each field mean? What values are valid? How should data be normalized?

Why document sources?

Credibility. A fact is only as good as its source. We separate "what we know" from "how we know it."

Phase 2: Extraction & Normalization

  1. Extract data from all sources. Preserve the original format while creating copies for processing.
  2. Convert to common format. Normalize dates, names, addresses, and other fields to consistent standards.
  3. Create duplicate detection rules. Identify records that represent the same person, organization, or thing.
  4. Flag anomalies for human review. Unusual patterns, missing critical fields, values that don't match expected ranges.

Why normalize separately from validation?

Normalization is technical. Validation is judgment. We clean the data first, then ask humans to make decisions about what's true.

Phase 3: Validation & Conflict Resolution

  1. Run quality checks. Completeness (are required fields populated?), format (valid dates, email addresses?), logical consistency (does related data make sense together?).
  2. Identify conflicts across sources. When different sources claim different things, which version is true?
  3. Create resolution workflow. Your team decides conflicts with full visibility into both versions and their sources.
  4. Document every decision. Why did we choose version A over version B? Audit trail for compliance and future reference.

Why separate validation from approval?

We identify conflicts, but YOU decide what's true. We never impose our judgment on organizational decisions.

Phase 4: Quality Gate & Approval

  1. Generate quality report. Percentage of required fields populated. Conflicts identified and resolved. Anomalies noted.
  2. Client review and sign-off. You see exactly what the data will be used for and whether you trust it.
  3. Final corrections. Address any concerns before moving to implementation.

Why require explicit approval?

Data quality is accountability. We can't guarantee perfection, but you know exactly what we can guarantee.

Phase 5: Implementation & Integration

  1. Deliver data in your needed formats. Database, CSV, API, spreadsheet—whatever you actually use.
  2. Set up integrations. Your website, reports, and systems pull from the verified source.
  3. Create update workflows. How do changes flow in? Manual review? Batch import? Real-time sync?

Phase 6: Monitoring & Maintenance

  1. Monthly quality audits. Is the data staying clean? Are new issues emerging?
  2. Correction request workflow. Someone finds a mistake? Clear process to fix it and document why.
  3. Regular reporting. Quarterly updates on data quality, changes made, and any new issues.

Why ongoing maintenance?

Reliable information is maintained, not published once and forgotten. Data quality decays without attention.

What We Guarantee. What We Don't.

We Guarantee:

  • ✓ Transparent process with documented decisions
  • ✓ Sources identified and traceable
  • ✓ Validation rules applied consistently
  • ✓ Human review for consequential claims
  • ✓ Audit trail for compliance
  • ✓ Correction workflow for mistakes

We Don't Promise:

  • ✗ 100% accuracy (impossible; we target >99%)
  • ✗ Legal opinions or tax advice
  • ✗ Automated decisions without human review
  • ✗ Management of your systems/databases
  • ✗ Audits or assurance services
  • ✗ Guaranteed completeness of all sources