Data collection is the process of gathering information from users. Your agency should obtain information from internal and external users in the required digital form. This will allow the data to be stored directly in the database without manual intervention as the data should be in the required structure.
Data collection methods include:
- Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)
- mobile applications
- online customer portals
- File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP)
Changing collection methods
During the gap analysis or planning and design phases, you may identify the need to improve data collection methods to satisfy your future vision.
Following the implementation of a new data collection method, maintaining both the old and new data collection methods can be beneficial for a short period of time to ensure that the new systems integrate correctly and the data is of the desired quality. When your agency is confident with the new data collection method, the legacy collection mechanisms can be decommissioned.