LONDON, March 18 /PRNewswire/ --     Data quality is still a global issue but, according to a new report
issued today by Experian(R), the global information services company, many
organisations are still not taking basic steps to care for their customer
data.

The report entitled, 'Contact Data: Neglected asset seeks responsible
owner' commissioned by Experian's specialist data integrity business, QAS,
surveyed 2,078 organisations worldwide, and revealed that the overall
approach to data quality and integrity around the world is at best
half-hearted and, at worst, cavalier. In particular, it highlighted a need
for customer data to be championed at a board level.

Whilst nearly a quarter of organisations (23 per cent) use data for
strategic planning and decision making every day, responsibility for the
upkeep of this data is passed from pillar to post. 59 per cent of respondents
said that responsibility sits with middle management, from a CRM Manager
through to an IT or Sales Manager. Only 50 per cent of organisations went on
to say that data quality is championed by someone at board level.

Lack of responsibility at the top is reflected in the low value employees
place on customer and prospect data. Organisations admitted that only half
(52 per cent) of their employees have bought into the importance of data
quality, revealing a lethargic approach to an issue that affects business
success on a day-to-day level. From a UK perspective, over a quarter of
organisations confess to not knowing how 'bought-into' data quality their
employees are. The effects of this unstructured approach were shown in
Experian's research in January, where only 46 per cent of the same sample
said they have a documented data quality strategy in place and 34 per cent
said they do not validate ANY of the information they collect on their
customers and prospects, whether that be name and address, contact number,
e-mail address or bank account information.

"I find it incredible that organisations are not paying more attention to
data quality," said Jonathan Hulford-Funnell, Group Operating Officer, QAS.
"No organisation would want to be seen as ignoring its customers, but this
data represents the picture or understanding that a business has of its
customers. If it is not properly maintained, how can organisations claim to
know who their customers are, where they are based or how to engage with
them? Data quality should not be seen as a burden for middle management, it
should be something that every employee in the business takes responsibility
for."

The research did reveal some good news. Despite data awareness remaining
a problem for many organisations, the results showed a marked improvement
since 2005. The last three years have seen a 16 percentage point increase in
the number of businesses where responsibility for data integrity has climbed
to board level. This has also led to an increase of 5 percentage points in
the number of employees totally bought into data quality since 2005.

"I believe that organisations are presented with a simple choice,"
continued Hulford-Funnell. "They can commit themselves to improving data
quality with a documented data quality strategy in place that is supported
and enforced by the top. Alternatively, they can continue to ignore the
issues and allow current problems to persist. In future, the onus will really
lie with these organisations to catch up with the market leaders; otherwise
they risk being left behind and having to pick up the pieces that poor data
management will have on customer service, future planning and credibility."

A full copy of the release can be found at:
http://www.qas.co.uk/responsibleowner

Notes to Editor: QAS commissioned Dynamic Markets to undertake a
quantitative research study to investigate the attitudes towards the
integrity of data held within organisations around the globe. 2,078
organisations in six countries (UK, The Netherlands, France, North America,
Australia and Singapore) were questioned, operating both in the B2B and B2C
markets. The respondents included CEOs and managing directors, plus
executives from IT, marketing, sales, human resources, finance,
administration and operations/production/logistics functions. The sectors
represented by the sample include transport and travel; retail; financial
services; utilities and telecoms; education; manufacturing, including
construction, agriculture and mining; charities and membership; and other
public sector and not-for-profit organisations. The comparative research from
2005 was also conducted by Dynamic markets and followed a similar
methodology. This research can be found at:

http://www.qas.co.uk/company/research/contact-form.htm

About Experian

Experian is a global leader in providing information, analytical and
marketing services to organisations and consumers to help manage the risk and
reward of commercial and financial decisions.

Combining its unique information tools and deep understanding of
individuals, markets and economies, Experian partners with organisations
around the world to establish and strengthen customer relationships and
provide their businesses with competitive advantage.

For consumers, Experian delivers critical information that enables them
to make financial and purchasing decisions with greater control and
confidence. Clients include organisations from financial services, retail and
catalogue, telecommunications, utilities, media, insurance, automotive,
leisure, ecommerce, manufacturing, property and government sectors.

Experian Group Limited is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and
is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. It has corporate headquarters in
Dublin, Ireland, and operational headquarters in Costa Mesa, California, and
Nottingham, UK.

Experian employs approximately 15,500 people in 36 countries worldwide,
supporting clients in more than 65 countries. Annual sales are in excess of
$3.8 billion (GBP1.9 billion/EUR2.8 billion).

For more information, visit the Group's website on
http://www.experiangroup.com.

The word 'Experian' is a registered trademark in the EU and other
countries and is owned by Experian Ltd. and/or its associated companies.

About QAS Ltd

Experian's Data Integrity experts provide contact data management (CDM)
software and services that help organisations drive value from their data.
Every organisation stores contact information on its customers/citizens,
prospects, suppliers and employees. Over 10,000 organisations worldwide
choose QAS products and services to manage the quality and accuracy of this
data to improve business processing, financial performance, efficiency and
the customer experience.

The CDM capabilities include data auditing and standardisation,
validation and cleaning, matching, suppression and enhancement. Specialist
Authentication solutions are also offered to meet the growing demand for
electronic identity verification in the wake of rising ID-related crimes.

Award winning QAS solutions are a result of year-on-year investment in
technology development since 1991, to ensure each solution delivers the
highest level of functionality and service support. QAS Ltd is a wholly owned
subsidiary of Experian, the global information services company.

Visit QAS Ltd on the web at http://www.qas.co.uk