In the following interview we learn how you can organise your data using simple yet effective means.
For more than two decades, numerous prestigious clients such as Accenture and BMW Group Austria have relied on Thiemo Sammern’s expertise in relation to data protection and data management. His company, METHIS, has developed sophisticated and exceptionally intelligent tools to process personal information, both legally and with factual accuracy.
Thiemo, you bring order to data chaos with intelligent software and clear processes. Your customers range from small craftsmen's businesses to global corporations. What exactly does METHIS offer?
In the past 20 years we have developed a series of tools for checking, correcting and accumulating personal information. Thanks to these tools, poorly maintained address lists become correct, clean databases. METHIS offers both pure software licences and the service of customer data cleaning.
Of course. Let’s say a company collects rudimentary data from interested clients or parties at a trade fair or as part of a marketing campaign. We make this information complete company data.
To do so we use our access to address and telephone databases in nearly all the countries of the world. In addition, there is a unique phonetic search for duplicates and various plausibility checks. We can check in real time, for example, if a mobile telephone number in fact exists, no matter if it is in Switzerland, Japan or Colombia.
Why is clean data so important for you – or rather, your customers?
First of all, as a company I can only meet data protection obligations, and thereby operate in a legally correct manner, with clean data. This includes, for example, meeting the obligation to disclose information or the right to delete. Both are incredibly difficult to do if my database is full of duplicates that differ in details such as the spelling of street names.
Secondly, marketing costs are greatly reduced. Let me give you a practical example: we received a database from a customer with 230,000 entries for a mailing list. Our clean-up work eliminated nearly 10% of these entries which included duplicates, as well as false or out-dated entries. Plus, we supplemented or improved details of many entries. That had a very positive impact on costs and the effectiveness of the entire marketing campaign.
And thirdly, personal data is simply the key to contact with people. You have to act responsibly with this data. Because only with the correct approach to the consumer can I build a good business relationship. Such an approach also follows the mega-trend of human data responsibility.
Is there a meaningful opportunity to inherently prevent “data chaos” from the outset?
Of course. Almost all of our customers ensure that their databases remain clean at latest upon completion of clean-up work. This is possible even without much effort. We have developed software-supported review and correction mechanisms for data entry that can be quickly and easily implemented.
Thank you very much for the interview! I am sure that there are some readers who have questions about the topic of “clean data”. Where can they go for answers?
Please don't hesitate to contact me directly on:
t.sammern@methis.at
Phone +43 662 2202 4413
Mobile +43 664 3405 097