Managing information within an enterprise is not possible without a well-thought data governance approach and therefore organizations must invest in establishing a mechanism for maintaining the quality and security of information assets. Engaging data governance services for the purpose is pertinent but business owners and management personnel must possess information about the strategy so that they can effectively incorporate it into their organization. Some important questions along with their answers are being presented here in order to provide vital information about data governance in an enterprise.
1. Which Data Elements Must Be Prioritized For Governance?
An organization while conducting business generates and processes a number of data elements related to various entities. Not every element is vital for operations, decision-making or reporting and therefore there is no need to govern all data elements present. In order to identify and prioritize vital information assets, enterprises must engage the personnel managing various departments who can point out the major business processes and the related data elements. It will also be wise to hire experts in each business sector to get an informed opinion on the matter which will help in finalizing the elements which must be governed.
2. Which Is The Most Appropriate Data Governance Model?
The success of the data management programme depends upon an effective data governance model which in turn requires the application of an appropriate model to succeed. While assigning data ownership to various personnel so that they can conveniently manage the assets is the simplest approach, the federated data governance model which adopts a holistic approach is the best way to implement governance. A team must be formed for enterprise governance which will look after the monitoring and management of all the information assets and the data stewards and other similar personnel in each section of the business will provide assistance in this regard.
3. How Must The Roles Of The Business And Technology Divisions Be Defined?
The business divisions possess the understanding of the importance of different data elements and their utility for the organization besides the vitality of maintaining high standards of such assets. Technological division, on the other hand, can provide inputs about the best methods to transfer, transform an evaluate all the data to assist accurate decision-making. Personnel in the business section are ideally suited to be assigned the roles of data stewards while the technical professionals can be appointed as data custodians.
4. What Facets Of The Data Need To Be Governed?
Data definition is one of the most important aspects that must be governed and it must be ensured that multiple and inconsistent definitions do not exist. Similarly, interface definitions have to be monitored so that data is not corrupted during transfer between systems. Another facet that needs constant attention is the variables assigned to a data element and it should be seen to that they are present in complete and coherent sets. These are some of the most important data aspects besides many others which must be monitored for an effective data governance approach.
5. What Should Be The Approach Of Identifying And Addressing Data-related Issues?
All vital data elements must be registered with its system of record, trusted source, data steward, data custodian, and all other essential information so that and the root cause of an issue is found and appropriate remedial measures applied quickly. An enterprise issue management system must be created where all issues must be logged and be allotted to the relevant steward who will after conducting the analysis forward it to the owner who will then take the necessary corrective measures.
6. How Can A Data Governance Program Be Sustained Over A Long Period Of Time?
Governance is a continuous and constantly evolving program and to sustain it over a long period of time, enterprises must devise an organizational structure along with establishing appropriate standards and policies and educating all stakeholders about the importance of the initiative. Organizations must take care to assign the correct roles to appropriate personnel and engage experts to get advice on the matter.
Conclusion
The data governance approach defines the path that an enterprise takes towards managing information for generating analysis that can be used for making decisions for improving the performance of the organization. Companies, therefore, must take help from professionals to get suggestions on how to implement the program effectively.
