Online Data Collection & Management: Part 2 - Strategies for Capturing and Delivering Value-Rich Data

Whether the organization is a mid-sized company, a small start-up business, or a publicly traded corporation, good data collection techniques are essential for acquiring information that can be utilized effectively throughout an organization for competitive advantage. The form itself is the starting point for the data collection process and the design layout and field structure can have a tremendous impact on the integrity of the data. User supplied data can often be inaccurate or incomplete, so the more attention paid to the structure of the form, the more likely people are able to collect information that is useable and provides value. Once the data is captured, the next stage is cleaning, classifying and delivering it to one or many points of contact, whether they are internal or external.