Data cleaning and enrichment
Another issue that is easy for humans, but needs to be taught to machines is the realization of various forms of data. Date, for example, tends to show up in different formats, namely the sequence of year, month and date can be different. However, the configuration is set to convert date to a unified form and display it in a clear, understandable and easily searchable piece of information to the users. Date of any format is first identified in the given website, then brought to the center of TAS, where it is processed, transformed and unified.
Finally, similar to humans TAS Data Collector has the competence of reading between the lines. It recognizes not only pre-labelled information, but also data hidden in the text flow of the website. Like humans, our configuration is able to cope with data of any degree of complexity. What makes it possible is data enrichment that is executed as the first step of data processing.
Custom Software Development
TAS Platform is an open system, which means that one can start and finish work outside it. Regarding Glass Pocket Observer the first part of the job was done by TAS Data Collector: collecting, processing and displaying data. However, as per the customer’s request, work did not stop here. As a complex web application additional functions were developed to help the users better understand and efficiently handle data, as well as to encourage the institutions to provide the citizens with transparent data. E.g. notifications for the users and for the public organizations, evaluation of the performance of the institutions.