In this podcast, the team discusses common data horror stories in IT consulting. They highlight the issue of hiding bad data with filters in reports instead of fixing errors at the source, leading to bigger problems during system migrations. Another problem discussed is trying to use tools like Power BI to mimic Excel functionalities, which leads to alignment and maintenance issues since Power BI and similar tools are not designed to replace Excel.

The conversation touches on the issues with manipulating data in Excel before importing it into Power BI, causing inconsistent data and errors. There's also a focus on the importance of cleaning data before migration to avoid transferring existing problems to new systems.

They mention the challenges of treating estimates as fixed prices and the tendency of clients to ask for continuous changes, causing scope management issues. Another point raised is the problematic practice of turning prototypes into production reports, leading to more issues because prototypes are not meant for long-term use.

The discussion also covers the problem of having poorly defined measures across different departments, resulting in inconsistencies in reporting. Lastly, they emphasize the importance of understanding one's own data to ensure accurate and effective data management and reporting. The episode concludes with a reminder to stay safe and avoid nightmares from data horrors.

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