B.A.D. Data Is Not Always Bad…If You Have a Data Scientist by Frank Coleman.
From the post:
How many times have you heard, “Bad data means bad decisions”? Starting with the Best Available Data (B.A.D.) is a great approach because it gets the inspection process moving. The best way to engage key stakeholders is to show them their numbers, even if you have low confidence in the results. If done well, you will be speaking with a group of passionate colleagues!
People are often afraid to start measuring a project or initiative because they have low confidence in the quality of the data they are accessing. But there is a great deal you can do with B.A.D. data; start by looking for trends. Many times the trend is all you really need to get going. Make sure you also understand what the distribution of this data looks like. You don’t have to be a Six Sigma black belt (though it helps) to know if the data has a normal distribution. From there you can “geek out” if you want, but your time will be better served by keeping it simple – especially at this stage.
A bit “practical” for my tastes, ;-), but worth your attention.