Survey: 84% of organizations see 'disruptions' from bad data
Poor data quality poses a negative impact on a large number of organizations.
Only 16% of respondents in a new report from data quality and address management provider Melissa believe they operate without “measurable disruption” from bad data. The remaining 84% absorb avoidable cost and risk from things like duplicate records, inaccurate fields, or the absence of real-time verification.
Almost half (44%) of those surveyed cite a “moderate impact” from bad data, which can lead to persistent delays in order fulfillment, marketing misfires due to outdated contact details, and issues with compliance. Sixteen percent of respondents noted "significant impact” from bad data.
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When asked how their organization manages data quality, 45% leverage a centrally-governed, IT-led approach, while 35% distribute ownership across multiple departments.
Most respondents cite outdated contact information (32%), compliance with evolving data regulations (25%), and incomplete customer profiles (23%) as the greatest data-related challenges. Identity fraud or impersonation (17%) and duplicate records (15%) receive slightly lower scores, yet their aggregate cost can surpass that of more visible pain points, according to Melissa.
When it comes to verification efforts to better streamline customer data, email or phone checks dominate current identity-verification workflows (36%), followed by address verification (30%), government-issued ID matching (25%), and manual document checks (24%).
“Enterprises today face a widening gap between their data-driven ambitions and the reality of fragmented systems, duplicate records, and mounting compliance pressures,” said Phil Maitino, Melissa’s chief technology officer. “This research reinforces what we hear from customers every day: data quality is no longer an IT afterthought; it’s a strategic business priority. Organizations that embrace real-time, automated verification are better positioned to reduce risk, accelerate onboarding, and unlock long-term growth.”
Melissa’s The State of Enterprise Data Quality 2025: Why Real-Time Verification Now Dictates Competitive Advantage survey included respondents from mid-market and enterprise organizations of 150 employees or more, spanning the retail, healthcare, insurance, financial, communications, and nonprofit sectors.
The full report can be found here.
