Editing Data in the Intermediate Database
As data is prepared to be entered into the final corporate database, there is one more step to complete: to edit out undesirable data.
It is normal for a spreadsheet to contain lots of types of data. Some of that data is vital, but other data on the spreadsheet may be of little or no importance. Data that is of little or no importance merely “clutters up” a database. Data of specious value makes more important data hard to find and use.
Therefore, it is a standard practice to “weed out” some data elements in the intermediate database. There are lots of ways to filter out the undesirable data. One way is to merely identify data that is desirable and delete everything else. Another way is to filter data with certain metadata characteristics.
This “weeding” process can be accomplished either automatically or manually, depending on the spreadsheet data.
Beyond editing, there are many other...
