Since the inception of the XBRL mandate, RDG has strived to set the standard for XBRL data quality, and we are proud to be among the leaders in the XBRL community. That is why—along with Merrill, RR Donnelley, Vintage-a division of PR Newswire, and Workiva—RDG Filings is delighted to be a Founding Member of the XBRL US Center for Data Quality.
The formation of the Center for Data Quality—announced yesterday—is the culmination of months of work by the XBRL US, the Founding Members, and many more people to whom we are grateful.
The Founding Members provide XBRL tagging services and software to a majority of public companies, and they have come together in shared commitment to the importance of improving the quality of the XBRL data that is filed with the SEC.
The advent of the XBRL mandate has been a tremendous improvement to the existing HTML/EDGAR format, and XBRL has become the worldwide standard for the reporting and analysis of financial information. However, the full benefits and potential of XBRL have not yet been realized because much of the XBRL currently filed with the SEC contains errors and inconsistencies. As a direct result of valid concerns about its accuracy and reliability, investors and analysts have been reluctant to utilize the available XBRL data.
The XBRL US Center for Data Quality believes that the errors and inconsistencies currently restraining XBRL’s true potential are primarily the result of:
- Absence of unambiguous guidance for using the US GAAP taxonomy
- Lack of corporate awareness of errors in their filings
Investors, analysts, the SEC, and the market in general will benefit greatly from the utilization of XBRL data, and RDG Filings is happy to join forces with other leaders in the XBRL community to ensure that the quality and utility of the data improves dramatically. The Data Quality Committee will develop:
- Guidance to provide for uniform, consistent tagging of financial data and to clarify those specific circumstances where custom tags are appropriate
- Automated validation rules to detect input errors and verify compliance with the Committee’s guidance
RDG Filings agrees with Barry Melancon, CEO of the American Institute of CPAs, and Chair of the XBRL US Board of Directors, when he says that in order to “realize the full economic benefit of XBRL, investors and other consumers must have access to accurate and reliable XBRL data.” Melancon applauded the formation of the Center for Data Quality as an “industry-funded initiative” that will “make it substantially easier for companies to create consistent, good quality financial statements in XBRL format.”
RDG Filings—along with the other Founding Members of the XBRL US Center for Data Quality—has always made a commitment to creating quality code that is of the greatest value and utility for analysts and investors. There is a “clear demand for timely, structured, machine-readable data,” and we are excited about the work the Center will do to fulfill the potential that XBRL holds for public companies and the investment community.
Feel free to contact me any time.
Stewart Walker – SVP, Director of Sales
(415) 643-6017
