Is Your Data Ready For AI?

Is Your Data Ready For AI?

A 2025 survey of data, BI and analytics trends across 1,795 business technology leaders has been released, and whilst there are some surprises in the placement of some of the trending topics, the top four are wholly what you’d expect given the emergence of AI over the last year or so.

On a rating of 0 (not important at all) to 10 (very important), tech leaders were presented with and asked to rate twenty different technology trends that they’d be, at some point, asked by their businesses to consider.

The Trends

In alphabetical order, these trends were: –

Advanced analytics/ML/AI

Cloud for data & analytics

Data & AI literacy

Data catalogs & data intelligence platf.

Data governance

Data lakehouse

Data mesh

Data Ops & Observability

Data prep. by business users

Data products

 

Data quality mgmt.

Data security & privacy

Data warehouse modernization

Data-driven culture

Decision intelligence

Embedded BI & analytics

Generative AI for data & analytics

Integr. platforms for PM & analytics

Real-time analytics & streaming

Self-service analytics & Data disc.

So, what were the top trends?

‘Unsurprisingly, data security & privacy came in top, with data quality management second, data-driven culture third, and data governance in fourth.

An important placement in the trends list for me to mention is data & AI literacy coming in at fifth.

What does this tell us?

Despite being listed in fifth place, AI is without question the hottest topic in tech all over the world right now, but most business don’t know how to implement it. Questions arise like ‘what’s it going to do for us? How best do we utilise it? If we don’t deploy it quickly, will we lost ground to our competitors that do?’.

These are all valid questions, but one thing has to be considered before you can effectively use AI:

How good is our data?

Why are the top four in the survey the top four?

Because each of them is vitally important to ensuring that you get the right output from anything AI related.

The adage is of course “you put rubbish in, you get rubbish out”.

One of the main pillars of AI is Large Language Models (LLM), which is designed to understand and generate human-like text responses based on vast amounts of data.

So, if your data isn’t accurate, you’re setting yourself up for a fall off the bat. You’ll be inundated with swathes of information generated, some of which is used to make business critical decisions, and it may very well be the rubbish we just spoke about.

The Top Four

Looking at the top four trends, let’s quickly summarise why they’re considered the most important for these tech leaders.

Data Security and Privacy

In the context of AI, this is one of the most important elements. When I start feeding these machine learning models with our business data, who’s going to see it? A robust security and privacy policy needs to be implemented to ensure that data remains safe and secure.

Data Quality Management

Data quality is crucial for AI because high-quality data ensures the accuracy, reliability, and effectiveness of AI models. Poor data quality can lead to biased, incorrect, or unreliable outcomes, which can negatively impact decision-making and trust in AI systems. Essentially, the better the data, the better the AI’s performance and results.

Data-Driven Culture

Put simply, everyone needs to be on the bus for AI to work. If you have an Operations department that are putting up a fight in adopting a data-driven culture, they may be lapse in conforming to the rest of the business’ policies of correct data entry, which ultimately skews the results of these AI models.

Data Governance

This is the framework of policies and procedures that ensures data is managed effectively, remains high-quality, secure, and compliant with regulations. Everything from making sure the data is accurate, to tracking its lineage, to complying with GDPR policies of data handling.

With each of these trends set out, we can now see why they are paramount for businesses, especially through an AI lens.

How JetStream can help

JetStream is our first-party data cleanroom, which cleans, enhances, and appends useful third-party information to B2C businesses customer data.

And it speaks to each of the four top trends specifically.

From a data security and privacy standpoint, JetStream uses pseudonymous match keys, meaning that no one outside of your business sees the underlying data. No more sending enormous data files to bureaus once a month to make sure it’s up to date (which JetStream does in near real-time at millions of records processed per minute).

Data Quality is ensured in exactly the same way. If you have deceased customers on your database, JetStream notifies you and flags them immediately, and it does the same for customers who have moved home.

Data Governance is ensured by standardising your customer data and filling in the gaps, ensuring that an AI model isn’t going to misinterpret free text information that is held in your records. This is also a safety net on the Data-Driven Culture aspect as well. If you have customer data that isn’t being captured across the business in a uniformed fashion, JetStream fixes it virtually instantly and brings it in line with your preferred formats.

In Summary

Make sure your data is good before you trust what AI is telling you. It’s as simple as that.

AI is becoming more and more accessible to every business, not just the global enterprises, so get your data ducks in a row before you embark on your AI journey.

Speak to us about how JetStream can get you ready.

 

By Steve Clarke – Commercial Director at The Ark

Get in touch with The Ark

The Power of Identity Resolution

The Power of Identity Resolution

The Power of Identity Resolution: Ensuring Accurate Customer Data Matching

In the day in age where organisations are striving to be as data-driven as possible, businesses are constantly seeking ways to better understand and engage with their customers. One of the most effective tools in achieving this is identity resolution. This process not only helps in creating accurate customer profiles but also enhances marketing strategies, customer experiences, and regulatory compliance. Let’s dive into why identity resolution is crucial and how it works. 

What is Identity Resolution?

Identity resolution is the process of creating a unified and accurate customer profile by linking data from various touchpoints and systems. This involves integrating information from emails, social media, offline interactions, and more to form a comprehensive view of each customer.

 

Why is Identity Resolution Important?

Accurate Customer Profiles

  • 360-Degree View: Identity resolution helps businesses create a 360-degree view of their customers. By integrating data from multiple sources, companies can gain a holistic understanding of customer behaviours and preferences.
  • Personalisation: With accurate profiles, businesses can tailor their marketing strategies to individual customers, leading to improved engagement and satisfaction.

Improved Marketing Strategies

  • Targeting and Segmentation: Identity resolution allows for better audience segmentation and more precise targeting. This means marketing campaigns can be more effective and yield higher returns.
  • Cross-Channel Consistency: Maintaining a consistent message across various channels is crucial. Identity resolution ensures that customers receive a seamless and coherent experience, regardless of the platform.

Enhanced Customer Experience

  • Seamless Interactions: Customers expect a seamless experience across different touchpoints. Identity resolution ensures that interactions are smooth and consistent, enhancing the overall customer journey.
  • Predictive Analytics: By leveraging accurate customer data, businesses can use predictive analytics to anticipate customer needs and behaviours, further improving the customer experience.

Regulatory Compliance and Security

  • Data Privacy: With increasing data protection regulations, relying on first-party data through identity resolution helps ensure compliance and protects customer privacy.
  • Security Measures: A centralised and accurate customer data system enhances security, reducing the risk of data breaches and ensuring that customer information is safeguarded.

How Does Identity Resolution Work?

Deterministic vs. Probabilistic Matching

  • Deterministic Matching: This method uses exact data points, such as email addresses or phone numbers, to link customer data. It is highly accurate but requires precise and consistent information, which is often not available.
  • Probabilistic Matching: This approach uses statistical algorithms to link data based on probabilities. It can connect data points even when exact matches are not available, which is more often the case.  A good algorithm will recognise different ways the same name or address can be presented enabling matches to be established, even when there are significant differences in the input data for the same individual.

Identity Resolution and Matching within Data Cleanrooms: A New Era of Privacy and Precision

In today’s data-driven world, businesses are constantly seeking ways to leverage customer data to enhance their marketing strategies and improve customer experiences. However, with increasing concerns about privacy and data security, traditional methods of data sharing and analysis are becoming less viable. This is where data cleanrooms come into play.

What are Data Cleanrooms?

Data cleanrooms are secure environments where data can be matched and analysed without exposing the underlying raw PII. These environments ensure that sensitive information remains protected while still allowing for secure matching. Data cleanrooms use advanced encryption and privacy-preserving technologies to maintain data confidentiality.

 

Benefits of Identity Matching within Data Cleanrooms

Enhanced Privacy: By anonymising data and using secure environments, data cleanrooms ensure that privacy is maintained throughout the analysis process.

Better and More Precise Matching: Many organisations face challenges when matching their customer data to other datasets (whether that be other customer data or external third-party sources).  Inconsistently formatted data, missing data and other data related issues can be overcome through employing identity matching solutions, enabling an organisation to match their customer data with confidence, leading to better data-driven outcomes.

Compliance: Data cleanrooms help businesses comply with data protection regulations like GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 by ensuring that data minimisation is built into their data matching solutions and sensitive information is handled securely.

Conclusion

As the digital landscape continues to evolve, the importance of identity resolution will only grow and as privacy concerns continue to increase, data cleanrooms and identity matching offer a robust solution for businesses looking to leverage customer data responsibly.

By combining advanced privacy-preserving technologies with sophisticated matching algorithms (such as our own JetStream solution), businesses can ensure accurate customer data matching, leading to better marketing strategies, enhanced customer experiences, and robust regulatory compliance, while maintaining the highest standards of data security.

 

By Martin Jaggard – Director at The Ark

Talk to us today about how identity resolution can help your business

The Importance of Maintaining Customer Data: A Proactive Approach to Deceased and Gone Away Suppression

The Importance of Maintaining Customer Data: A Proactive Approach to Deceased and Gone Away Suppression

In today’s data-driven world, maintaining accurate and up-to-date customer data is crucial for any organisation. Not only does it enhance operational efficiency, but it also fosters trust and loyalty among customers. One critical aspect of data maintenance is the suppression of deceased and gone away records. This blog explores the importance of maintaining customer data, the benefits of deceased and gone away suppression, and how organisations can leverage in-situ data cleansing within their own cloud platforms.

Why Maintaining Customer Data Matters

Identity resolution is not just a feature; it’s a necessity for the success of data cleanrooms. It allows companies to:

1) Enhanced Customer Experience: Accurate data ensures that communications are relevant and timely, enhancing the overall customer experience. Misaddressed communications can lead to frustration and a negative perception of the brand.

2) Regulatory Compliance: Many industries are subject to strict data protection regulations. Maintaining accurate data helps organisations comply with laws such as GDPR, which mandate the proper handling of personal information.

3) Cost Efficiency: Clean data reduces the costs associated with undeliverable mail, incorrect billing, and wasted marketing efforts. It also minimizes the resources needed to manage and rectify data errors.

4) Improved Decision Making: Reliable data is the foundation of effective decision-making. It enables organisations to analyse trends, forecast demand, and tailor their strategies to meet customer needs.

The Role of Deceased and Gone Away Suppression

1) Respect and Sensitivity: Sending communications to deceased individuals can be distressing for their families. Suppressing these records demonstrates respect and sensitivity, preserving the organisation’s reputation.

2) Data Accuracy: Removing outdated records ensures that the database reflects the current customer base, leading to more accurate analytics and insights.

3) Fraud Prevention: Deceased records can be exploited for fraudulent activities. Suppressing these records helps mitigate the risk of identity theft and fraud.

4) Resource Optimisation: By eliminating gone away records, organisations can focus their resources on engaging with active customers, improving the efficiency of marketing and customer service efforts.

Benefits of In-Situ Data Cleansing in the Cloud

In-situ data cleansing refers to the process of cleaning and maintaining data within the organisation’s own cloud platform. This approach offers several advantages:

1) Real-Time Updates: In-situ cleansing allows for real-time updates, ensuring that the data is always current and accurate. This is particularly important for dynamic customer databases.

2) Enhanced Security: Keeping data within the organisation’s cloud platform reduces the risk of data breaches and unauthorised access. It ensures that sensitive information is handled in compliance with security protocols.

3) Cost Savings: In-situ cleansing eliminates the need for third-party data cleansing services, reducing costs associated with data transfer and external processing.

4) Customisation: Organisations can tailor the cleansing process to their specific needs, incorporating custom rules and algorithms that align with their business objectives.

5) Scalability: Cloud platforms offer scalable solutions that can grow with the organisation. In-situ cleansing ensures that data management processes can adapt to increasing volumes of data without compromising performance.

Proactive Data Management: A Strategic Imperative

Proactive data management is not just about maintaining accuracy; it’s about anticipating and addressing potential issues before they arise. By implementing in-situ data cleansing and deceased and gone away suppression, organisations can:

  • Build Trust: Demonstrating a commitment to data accuracy and customer respect fosters trust and loyalty.
  • Enhance Efficiency: Streamlined data processes lead to more efficient operations and better resource allocation.
  • Drive Growth: Accurate data supports informed decision-making, enabling organisations to identify opportunities and drive growth.

And finally…

The Ark are well placed to help organisations address the problem of deceased and gone away suppression with our National Deceased Register and Re-mover Gone Away suppression files.  These datasets can also be delivered proactively through our JetStream data cleanroom solution, providing a cloud-based in-situ solution for organisations looking to maintain their customer data.

Take a look at JetStream in our video:

The takeaway? Maintaining customer data is a strategic imperative for modern organisations. By proactively managing data through in-situ cleansing and deceased and gone away suppression, businesses can enhance customer experience, ensure compliance, and optimise resources. Embracing these practices within their own cloud platforms positions organisations for long-term success in an increasingly data-centric world.

– Martin Jaggard – Director at The Ark

Talk to us about your data today

Paranormal direct mail activity

Paranormal direct mail activity

Some marketers seem determined to make contact with the other side, offering credit cards, discounts and special offers to the deceased.  It would be an incredible achievement on the part of the marketer to get any take up on the campaign from someone who is no longer living, so why do some companies not remove the deceased from their mailing lists?

There is a potential issue of fraud and identity theft here; reports of direct mail being sent to people who have died appear in the media with alarming regularity, and according to a study conducted by Wilmington Millennium with ex-offenders, 79% of these people believed that identity theft was an easy way to obtain cash fraudulently.  Fraudsters intercept credit card offers and similar pieces of direct mail after checking obituaries or graveyard activity, and use these details to open credit accounts and run up a huge bill using the personal details of someone who has died.  This is very distressing to the relatives of the deceased, as they are left to deal with the authorities alongside the bereavement process.

As well as the issue of criminal activity related to these erroneously sent communications, there is also the issue of negative impact on the reputation of a company that continues to mail out to the deceased.  Elderly relatives that lived in a family home will have played a very important part in daily family life, and to be reminded of that loss with every piece of direct mail can be distressing for the family left behind.  Dealing with unsubscribing from these companies’ mailing lists will not be a priority for the family, so the responsibility for managing the removal of the deceased from the mailing lists rests firmly with the marketer.  When you consider that around two thirds of people would not consider dealing with a company that has sent direct mail to a deceased relative, it is even more important to get a removal process in place.

Companies whose products and services are aimed at the elderly have a much greater responsibility than most to get this right, as their database will have a higher proportion of deceased contacts (and goneaways where the elderly person has moved into a residential or nursing home) than most.   Charities are especially susceptible to a high rate of deceased records due to the older average age of their donors, so proactively managing the suppression process and managing final communications can improve the brand image, whilst addressing the need for removing the deceased and goneaways from their databases.  Charities can take the opportunity to pay tribute to a valuable donor; an action that can provide comfort for the relatives in a distressing time and potentially recruit new donors to continue the good work that was funded by the late donor.  It is a sensitive issue, but when managed correctly can lead to more donors, and a positive reinforcement of the brand image.

Using up to date deceased contact lists is not an onerous task and the small effort required to make sure the database is cleansed against this list, far outweighs the potential negatives of leaving people on there that can no longer receive or read mail.  With that in mind, can any organisation really afford to overlook such a simple, yet important component of data hygiene strategy?

The Key to GDPR Compliance

The Key to GDPR Compliance

With the looming introduction of the EU General Data Protection Regulation in 2018 there has never been a better time for marketers to improve their practices and work towards the industry standards by which all direct marketers will have to conduct business.  GDPR represents the most significant overhaul of Data Protection legislation for over 25 years, it will require many organisations to completely reengineer core processes to become GDPR ready.

In this brave new world marketers will require opted-in permission from consumers to market to them and the old opt-out model will no longer apply. Penalties include staggering fines of up to up to 4% of global turnover.

The new opt-in permissions are likely to have a large impact on new customer acquisition as traditional data sources decrease in size and become costlier and legally complex. Maintaining permission to market to your existing customers will therefore be critical, as will retaining opt-in permission from multiple channels and keeping track of your customers as they move home to avoid diminishing returns from a continually shrinking database.

If a customer, who has previously opted in to receive postal communications, moves house and does not inform those companies who were sending mail, can that record still be considered as a strong opt-in?  What steps can marketers take to ensure their campaign material still reaches the intended recipient?  If the marketers can obtain the new address of an opted in customer then this can still be considered as a strong opt-in under current regulations, and there are existing products to provide marketers with this data.  Using these products will reduce the proportion of direct mail that does not reach the customer, and improve the health of the database.  It also increases the value of the database, as details are correct and up to date.

Using a goneaway suppression file such as Re-mover ensures that direct mail campaigns are not sent to addresses that an opted in customer has left, lowering the potential incidence of identity fraud.  These actions lead to better compliance with data protection regulations and improve the reputation and image of the originating company as well as the direct mail sector over all.  Re-mover is up to date with over 90% of house moves in the UK, 65% of which happen within the previous 30 days, making it the most current and reliable goneaway suppression file available.

 

Similarly, the National Deceased Register is equally current and provides reliable and accurate data on the recently deceased; it is most often cases of companies mailing people that have been dead for years that make the national press and contribute to the negative image of the direct mail sector, so with up-to-date suppression files available there is no excuse for marketers to bypass best practices.  Ignoring the issues of identity fraud and crime that have been associated with credit and loan applications sent to those who are deceased or who have moved only furthers the impression that direct mailing companies are irresponsible and contravenes the incoming GDPR regulations with regard to an individual’s right to data rectification.

Suppression files notwithstanding, there has never been a more pressing time for businesses to look at their opt-in policies for marketing communications, and to ensure that any data processors they outsource to also adhere rigorously to the same standards.  The pursuit of industry-wide compliance with opt-in policies, data protection regulations and the rules governing the processing and sale of personal information provided by customers is a journey that must be started very soon.  Some companies will have more work to do in this area than others, and should commence the process of database maintenance as soon as possible.  Ark Data are leading the way in accurate data suppression files that enable direct mailing contractors and companies managing large customer databases to meet the standards that the public deserve.