Data goes bad for all kinds of reasons, from changes in processes or standards (or a lack thereof) to basic typos. It takes time and attention to maintain your data, and if you're not actively using data for insights and reporting, it's easy to deprioritize maintenance. Luckily there are data preparation tools that can help you keep your data clean.

From point-of-sale systems and web analytics to marketing platforms and CRMs, it takes more than one tool to run a business, and getting a complete, clear picture of your business can be tough when you have to jump between a bunch of different platforms. Each of these tools comes with its own built-in analytics dashboards and reports, which are great for understanding one specific part of your business. The real challenge, however, is tying all that information together.