Author Archives 
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Datamartist V1.3.0 Value Distribution data profiling
This video gives a quick (under two minute) look at the Datamartist data profiler's ability to explore the distribution of numeric values in a data set by counting the number of values that fall into a series of equal size buckets. It highlights the datamartists calculation, visualization, selection and drill down features using a simple [...]
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How the general ledger can become a data warehouse
Many companies today rely on the general ledger as key part of their management reporting, well beyond the obvious financial information. This has often been shaped by how companies first adopted information technology. In some firms, their management reporting systems reflect the fact that as information technology began to be used extensively by business, often [...]
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V1.3.0 Public beta released
Come and get it while its still warm! The next release of Datamartist, a data profiling and data transformation tool (think ETL and data profiler rolled into one) is now available in BETA as a public trial download. The currently released version 1.2.6 is of course also still available, but for those who don't mind [...]
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When the right tool is not a standard tool.
Phil Simon (@philsimon) tweeted a link to an article in the Harvard business review that talks about the dangers of being "overly tool standardized" within an organisation that I thought was very interesting. Now, of course, standards are needed, and for a broad range of tools its counter productive (and horrifically expensive) to let everyone [...]
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A simple ETL tool with data profiling tools built in
Datamartist is a new idea in ETL and data profiling tools. It gives people who are serious about getting at their data a powerful, simple to use, right sized tool. Easy to install Easy to use ETL features and data profiling capability Avoid using the wrong tool for the job Enterprise ETL tools (Extract Transform [...]
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Data quality from a four year old
I think my four year old would make a good data quality dude. He explained to me recently, why its better to use stickers than crayons, "for the things people use a lot". "Dad, if you use crayons, you might draw it different, but stickers- they are all the same." he then pointed to the [...]
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Data integration is like a pizza
I enjoy a slice of pizza as much as the next person (perhaps a bit more). The key to a good pizza is the raw materials- use the right stuff, and you'll be happy every time. What's great about pizza is that it has all sorts of great stuff on it, and presents them all [...]
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Why you should data profile.
Imagine that you have bought a new home, and you've decided to do some landscaping. So you pick three landscapers, draw a rough sketch of what you want, and ask them to bid on the job. But you don`t allow them to come see your property, and your sketch doesn't specify anything about the existing [...]
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Automated data profiling and reporting- Data quality behavioral modification?
Recently, Jim Harris of Obsessive compulsive data quality speculated as to if the concept of the "Swear jar" could be used to improve data quality. It was an interesting post, and the discussion in the comments underlined the reality of data quality- much of the time, the problem is not about changing bits in a [...]
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Reduce Business Intelligence cost through better data migration
Managing Business Intelligence cost is not an easy task. But poorly or inconsistently structured data can make the task even harder. Unfortunately, a lazy data migration project can generate all sorts of headaches that will cause your Business Intelligence cost to explode. Of course, bad data quality also has many other costs and risks associated [...]
