First cabin: 325
Second Cabin: 285
1912 Newspaper Covering the Titanic Disaster - The need for accurate numbers shown over a century ago.
Steerage: 710
Officers & Crew: 860
Total: 2180
The headline from our April 18, 1912 newspaper reads “1475 Lost In Titanic Disaster”. The numbers above are reported to be the amounts in each passenger category. There is a subsequent list of numbers by category of those accounted for. The headline does the math.
In reading about the sinking of the Titanic today, not one of these numbers of matches. Possibly the only accurate and unrevised number, which likely means little to most of us today, would be that of the location as to where the unsinkable lost her title, 41:16 north and 50:14 west.
Of course many disasters often involve revised numbers, a long period passes until official estimates are given.
It seems to come in a different order when dealing with business data. The numbers are issued as accurate, and if they have to be reissued it is a disaster.
The computers pull in the raw data. No issues here. The formulas and business intelligence dashboards calculate as programmed. Hmmm, it is the programming and entering of formulas where the iceberg may take a toll.
The more code there is to enter, the greater the likelihood of error. The more people handling formulas and data, the continued increase in error potential. Prepare for impact.
The data doesn’t change. The data you pull may need to change, and be updated mid-meeting. But the way it is sliced and diced can change significantly. A good reporting tool works at decreasing errors in data processing and data presentation by pulling in all data. A good reporting tool should do the work for you, processing behind the scenes, while allowing you to concentrate on how to present the data.
Have you ever experienced that sinking feeling when presenting a report? Let us know below in the comments.