Continuous Data Flow (CDF)

The most important driver of data quality is high-velocity continuous processing through the full cycle that begins when a sampled number or address is first contacted and ends when a complete data record passes specific quality standards and is ready for analysis or delivery. PTV NuStats created and for more than ten years has continually refined a Continuous Data Flow (CDF) management system for surveys. This SQL-based system contains a complex system of status codes and date/time stamps for nine discrete stages in the data collection and processing cycle that are associated with every single sample case. Inputs to the CDF Master File are automatically created from all work functions and/or workstations in the call center and processing units and processing occurs daily. The CDF generates daily reports that reflect the status of survey records, notifies staff that the data are ready for the next stage of the process, identifies records requiring specific intervention, and summarizes the aggregate status of the sample against target quotas, response rates, and other diagnostic views to track survey progress relative to quality, timeline and budget.