From Chaos to Clarity: How the 5 Cs of Data Preparation Empower Informed Decisions

Data Prep is the first stepping stone for any business workflow and doing that right will set you up for success.

It’s time to embrace the 5 Cs. 

1. Communication 

The number one point in building any relationship, and it is different here. Being able to understand and with anyone else involved in the project is key. Whether that is updating a stakeholder on where the project is along the timeline or understanding the process from the data experts, constant updates and feedback are critical. 

2. Collaboration 

This is a team sport. No one person, or problem will hold all the questions, just as no one person or dataset will hold all the answers. That is why working together with the experts and similar minded people will allow for your data preparation to thrive. 

3. Critical Thinking 

Data Preparation is a puzzle, you have X and you need to get it to Y. As you start your journey you may go down the wrong path, and that is ok, as long you learn along the way. Often you might find yourself starting from the beginning again, but as the other attempts have put you in a more mature position, you’re going in the right direction. 

4. Curiosity 

Embrace a thirst for understanding and ask the "why" behind the numbers. Curiosity drives crucial breakthroughs that shape your data journey and unveils steps that can be important for other data preparation projects. 

5. Creativity 

Data preparation is an art as much as it is science. Creativity should be the heart of your approach, devising inventive solutions and methods. Think outside the box and learn about the multitude of ways to solve the same problem, who knows when you might need each solution again.