Cleanliness of Data

Data is everywhere. Insight is not.

In this episode of The Fault Line, Gary Lancina and Kim Scribner are joined by Dr. Marvin Rothwell to explore what “clean” data actually means and why it matters more than most organizations realize.

From healthcare and supply chain to finance and operations, Marvin shares how misaligned definitions, inconsistent processes, and siloed systems create costly friction. Clean data, he argues, starts long before reporting, with clarity on what you’re measuring, why it matters, and how it’s captured.

The conversation covers:

• Why clean data is an agreement between business and technical teams
• The hidden cost of “we’ve always done it this way”
• How involving data teams earlier prevents downstream rework
• What AI changes (and doesn’t) about data hygiene
• Why data refinement is like refining crude oil

If you want better insights, better decisions, and fewer expensive surprises, the work begins with data cleanliness.