CompTIA Data+ (DA0-002)Data Governance, Quality and ControlsMedium
A retailer's CRM system lists a customer's address as '123 Main St, Apt 4B' while the billing system lists the same customer's current address as '123 Main Street, Suite 4B'. Both entries may reflect the same real address, but the values do not match between the two systems. Which data quality dimension is primarily violated?
- AAccuracy
- BUniqueness
- CConsistency
- DCompleteness
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. Consistency
Consistency measures whether the same data element holds the same value across different systems or records. Here the underlying address may be correct (accuracy) and fully present (completeness), but it is represented differently between systems, which is a consistency problem.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Accuracy would apply if the address itself were wrong, not mismatched formatting between systems.
- B. Uniqueness concerns duplicate records for the same entity, not conflicting field values.
- D. Completeness concerns missing values, but both systems have a value present.
Consistency (Data Quality Dimension)
The degree to which the same data value matches across multiple systems, records, or points in time.
- Common cause of conflicting golden record values across CRM/ERP
- Different from accuracy, which measures correctness against reality
- Resolved through data integration and MDM survivorship rules
Memory trick: 'CACTUS' - Completeness, Accuracy, Consistency, Timeliness, Uniqueness, Validity Standards