Data integrity and information systems

Answer

Data Integrity and Information Systems Reliability

Introduction     

Data quality provides an insight into the features which determine the reliability of information with an aim of serving an intended purpose such as decision-making, planning and operations. Data integrity reveals features that determine information reliability in terms of logical and physical validity. It provides an insight into the completeness, accuracy and consistency of data (Ugboma, 2004). Moreover, data integrity provides an insight into the safety of data in relation to regulatory compliance and security. Data security is maintained through a collection of rules, processes and standards which are implemented during the design phase. The focus of this essay is to unveil how the critical nature of data integrity and information systems reliability affects the success of a firm.

The Critical Nature of Data Integrity to the Success of an Organization

                Data integrity is critical to the success of organizations in that it offers detective and preventive measures that guarantee that the valid data that fall under the data validation range of the specified data types find their way into the databases. The preventive measure guarantees that only valid data is included within the information system databases. On the other hand, detective measures are focused on ensuring that data falls within the required validation range for the databases (Ugboma, 2004). Data integrity utilizes constraints with an aim of affirming restrictions as needed to the data located within databases.

                Data integrity ensures the success of the organization by guaranteeing that data can be searched and traced to its original source. With effective data integrity, the stability and performance of data is also enhanced, thus guaranteeing a desirable means of data protection and accuracy. This means that upholding data integrity and guaranteeing their completeness is an essential factor which organizations should consider. Notably, any compromised data is not considered useful for most businesses (Ugboma, 2004). This factor is mainly evident in the case of big data. Evidently, with big data, firms collect a lot of information which should be secured by ensuring that its integrity is maintained. Therefore, without data accuracy and integrity, the data collected by the business will be considered worthless. Failing to observe the integrity of the big data implies that the data will be compromised. In such instances, the organization will be subjected to cumbersome and an expensive data auditing process focused on tracing the source of the errors with a primary aim of recovering the data (Ugboma, 2004).

Data integrity is fundamental to the success of a firm since it aids in guaranteeing the effectiveness of information systems. In the event when data is secured, the information stored within the databases remain accurate, complete and reliable, despite how long it is stored or accessed (Ugboma, 2004). Data integrity also guarantees the success of the firm since it ensures that data is safe from any unauthorized access. There are different forms of data integrity which should be considered by firms to ensure their success. Some of the common forms are physical integrity and logical integrity.  

1. Physical Integrity

Physical integrity describes the protection of the accuracy and wholeness of data as it is retrieved and stored. Physical integrity is influenced in the events where natural disasters affect a system or where hackers disrupt the database functions. Additionally, human error is also an example of an issue which can make it impossible for the system programmers and the data managers or internal auditors to obtain accurate data within the system.

1. Logical Integrity

Logical integrity should also be prioritized since it keeps the data unchanged as it is utilized in varied ways within a relational database. Logical integrity guarantees the success of the firm by preventing against instances of human error or the actions of hackers. However, the logical integrity protects data in a different way compared to the physical integrity (Ugboma, 2004).

Importance of Information Systems Reliability to the Success of an Organization

Information systems are established and maintained not only with an aim of storing and retrieving information but also with a focus of ensuring that the data is converted into useful information for control by users. Information system reliability is fundamental to the success of businesses since it aids in promoting the company’s performance as well as boosting its productivity (Picincu, 2018). Evidently, organizations from across the globe rely on the use of information systems to research and establish new ways of revenue generation, engaging the consumers, and streamlining tasks that tend to be time consuming.

A reliable information system promotes business success by ensuring that the firm saves on time and money while engaging in making smarter decisions. The internal departments of a business, such as sales and marketing, can effectively communicate and share information with ease when the company’s information system is reliable (Picincu, 2018). Moreover, since technology is automated and utilizes complex algorithms, reliable information systems reduce instances of human error. Notably, technology has resulted to the formation of information systems which enable the employees to focus on the core aspects, rather than spending on the collection of data, filling out paper work and completing manual analysis. Through this time saving aspect, the business will be able to save on time, and accordingly engage in other revenue generation activities that further support the focus of the firm to increase profitability. Additionally, reliable information systems ensure that  key people in the organization can access a wide array of data from a single platform, which is also effective in saving time. For example, team members can access information from various sources such as customers, vendors, warehouses and sales representatives simply through few mouse clicks.

Different types of information systems play different roles. For instance, business intelligence has the ability of turning data into valuable insights. However, when the information system is reliable, this form of technology can allow for a more accurate reporting, faster and better business decision-making to ensure that the resources are efficiently allocated. Moreover, a reliable information system is also associated with data visualization. Data visualization enables the analysts to easily interpret a wide array of information, take part in the prediction of future events and the establishment of historical data patterns (Picincu, 2018).

Enterprise resource planning software (ERP) is also effective in ensuring the success of a business. When the ERP software is reliable, business’s stakeholders can utilize the software to gather, manage, and analyze the data over different areas of the business, ranging from accounting to finance. Gupta, Misra, Singh, Kumar and Kumar (2017) state that this type of information system is composed of multiple applications that offer a 360-degree view of the firm’s operations. A reliable information system is also effective in guaranteeing the success of a firm. Similar to other systems, reliable ERP systems provide users with an actionable insight, which assists them in making decisions about the next steps to be undertaken to promote the firm’s success. Moreover, the information system makes it possible for the firm to obtain a regulatory compliance, improve on its data security, and facilitate the move of sharing information between departments. Additionally, it is effective in guaranteeing that all the financial records of the business are up to date and accurate (Gupta et al., 2017). In this case, the success of the business is promoted since the ERP software has the ability to reduce operational costs, improve collaboration, and boost the potential for revenue generation. Picincu (2018) reiterates this factor by maintaining that more than half of the organisations which implement the use of a reliable ERP system derive the benefit of an improved revenue generation within a period of 6 months.

Conclusion

                Data integrity and information systems reliability are important factors to be considered by businesses that seek to be successful. Data integrity focuses on reducing the instances of human errors as well as the ability of hackers to access data system to compromise its validity. Reliable information systems are focused on providing a firm with a competitive advantage by providing team members with a reliable way of communicating and storing data. Desirable information systems make it possible for the businesses to make smarter decisions based on their needs to ensure that their goals and missions are safeguarded to ensure success.