
5.3 Investigating Causes ~7
Impacts Not Yet Happening
The most dangerous impacts are those that have not yet occurred. Seeing the
presence of inaccurate data can sometimes lead to speculation about problems
that could occur. These can have greater impact than those that occur on a
regular basis but cost little to correct.
A simple example is the inaccurate birth dates of employees. There may
have been no costs that have occurred yet for a new company that hires mostly
young people. However, as this population ages, all sorts of government regu-
lations about reporting, pension programs, and changing medical