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How do I handle missing values in business data?
First understand why values are missing, since blank can mean unknown, not applicable or zero. Then choose a documented treatment: leave as null, fill with a sensible default, estimate, or exclude, and never silently turn missing into zero where that changes meaning.
Options:
- Fix at source: make the field required.
- Fill using reliable rules, such as a default category.
- Impute statistically for modelling, with the assumption stated.
- Exclude rows from specific calculations and show how many were excluded.
Measure missingness with data tests and track it over time. A sudden rise often signals a broken integration or process change rather than a real shift in the business.
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