Explaining information quality - to professionals and non-professionals

For a couple of years now, I've been talking about information quality as a specification conversation.

We develop a specification for the information a process needs based on the results we need to achieve.

The specification is the right level of quality.

The information then either meets the specification, or it doesn't.

The desired results can then (as a consequence) be achieved - or not.

If you want to see this in action, call a couple of your colleagues or friends.

Eventually you'll get someone's voicemail and if you're lucky, you'll get a message with an information quality specification.

"Hi, you've reached Karl, please leave your name, number and a brief message and I'll get back to you"

Specification -

Information I need -

• Name

• Number

• Brief message

Result you will get if you provide information at this level of quality -

• I'll call you back.

End specification.

That's all information quality is.

Information needed.

Results that can be produced when it is available.

Everything else is just logistics, systems, people, processes, technology - definitely not simple, but still much simpler when we have a meaningful quality specification, and the results we can achieve with it.