As a SQL Server user, you may have encountered situations where the suggestions provided by Data Quality Services (DQS) are not as helpful as you expected. In this blog post, we will address this issue and discuss how to increase the confidence level of the suggestions provided by DQS.

One of our readers, Sriram MD, reached out to us after noticing that DQS was not providing intelligent suggestions for data correction. Sriram rightly pointed out that DQS should be able to make intelligent guesses and corrections automatically. If it cannot do so, it should at least provide intelligent suggestions for manual correction.

So, why is DQS not providing helpful suggestions in some cases? The answer lies in the sensitivity settings of DQS. Every system and application has different needs, and DQS allows you to adjust the sensitivity of its suggestions accordingly.

To change the sensitivity of suggestions in DQS, you need to access the configuration settings in the DQS client. Under the Configuration tab, you will find the General Settings section. Within this section, there is an option called “Min score for suggestions.”

By default, the “Min score for suggestions” is set to 0.7. This means that only suggestions with a probability of 0.7 or higher will be displayed under the suggestion tab. In the example provided by Sriram, there were no suggestions because none of the records met this confidence threshold.

To increase the confidence level of suggestions, you can lower the value of “Min score for suggestions.” For example, if you set it to 0.5, DQS will provide suggestions for values with a probability of 0.5 or higher. However, it is important to note that the accuracy of these suggestions may vary depending on your dataset. It is always recommended to manually review and approve the suggestions before applying them.

It is crucial to understand that adjusting the sensitivity of suggestions in DQS should be done with care. Each dataset and record diversity is unique, and what works for one may not work for another. It is essential to tune the sensitivity settings according to your specific requirements.

We hope this blog post has provided you with a simple demonstration of how to increase the confidence level of suggestions in DQS. By adjusting the sensitivity settings, you can enhance the accuracy and usefulness of the suggestions provided by DQS.

Remember to always consider the unique characteristics of your dataset and review the suggestions manually before applying them. With the right configuration, DQS can be a powerful tool for improving data quality in your SQL Server environment.