Data Cleansing Tips to Improve Business Insights

Hi! I’m Cindy Aulia, a virtual assistant here at ProjektExodus. I used to think data was something only analysts or “techy people” had to deal with — until I realized how even a simple spreadsheet could throw off an entire decision just because of a few errors. That’s when I started learning about data cleansing tips. If you’re managing client records, reports, or even just to-do lists, keeping your data clean helps everything else run smoother.

How Data Cleansing Tips Changed My Daily Workflow

At first, I thought I was just bad at organizing. But I wasn’t alone. Most of us work with messy data without realizing how much it slows us down — duplicate contacts, misspelled names, outdated info.

When I applied a few small data cleansing tips, things got easier: less confusion, clearer reports, and more confidence when sending updates to clients.

My Go-To Data Cleansing Tips for Everyday Work

Here are a few things I now do regularly — they’ve helped me stay organized and save time:

• Check for duplicates — in Airtable or Sheets, a quick filter goes a long way
• Keep formatting consistent — like using DD/MM/YYYY for all dates
• Fill in blanks carefully — don’t guess, ask or flag it
• Use conditional formatting — it helps highlight anything that’s off

These might sound simple, but trust me — they make a difference, especially when your task list is full.

Tools That Don’t Feel Overwhelming

Not everything has to be automated or advanced. These are a few tools I’ve personally used:

• Google Sheets – with filters and validations
• Airtable – super helpful for organizing contacts and tasks
• OpenRefine – a bit nerdy, but great for deep cleaning
• Zapier or Make – when I want to clean up entries automatically

Start with what you already know. Add as you go.

Don’t Wait for Data to Break — Clean as You Go

One of the biggest shifts for me was realizing that cleaning data isn’t a one-time task — it’s a habit. Now I do little checks once a week. It feels manageable, and I avoid the “data panic” later.

If you’d like to go a bit deeper, this article from Numerous.ai lays out a solid strategy for building your own data cleansing process. It goes beyond just fixing errors — it touches on how to prevent them in the first place, which is something I’m personally trying to improve in my weekly routines.

Thanks for reading! I know “data cleansing” doesn’t sound exciting at first — but once you see how much smoother it makes your work, you won’t want to go back.

— Cindy Aulia
@ ProjektExodus