Data Governance: Why You Need a Strategic Plan and a Trusted Partner 

Data governance is the organizing framework for establishing strategy, objectives and policies for effectively managing data. It is not a one-size-fits-all solution, but a tailored approach that depends on your organization’s needs, challenges and goals. 

In this blog post, we will explain why this is important, how to qualify a data governance project and how to choose the right partner to help you navigate this complex and evolving field. 

Why Data Governance Matters 

Data is one of the most valuable assets of any organization. It can help you improve decision making, enhance customer experience, increase efficiency, reduce risk and more. However, data also comes with challenges and responsibilities. Organizations need to ensure that their data is accurate, consistent, secure, compliant and accessible to the right people at the right time. 

You address these challenges and responsibilities by providing a framework for: 

• Data discovery: Finding and understanding your data sources, systems and platforms
• Data classification: Categorizing and labeling your data according to its type, nature and sensitivity 
• Data protection: Securing your data from unauthorized access, use or disclosure 
• Data quality: Ensuring your data is complete, correct and current 
• Data lineage: Tracking the origin, movement and transformation of your data 
• Data democratization: Enabling your data consumers to access and use your data with ease and confidence
• Data stewardship: Assigning roles and responsibilities for data ownership, management and governance 
• Data measurement: Evaluating the success and impact of your information management practices 

By implementing a data governance program, you can gain more control, visibility and value from your information, and leverage it as a strategic asset for your organization. 

How to Qualify a Data Governance Project 

Data governance is not a one-time project, but a continuous process that requires ongoing monitoring and improvement. However, you need to start somewhere, and that means identifying and prioritizing your goals and needs. 

To qualify a data governance project, you need to ask yourself and your stakeholders some important questions, such as: 

• What are your primary drivers or motivations for implementing solutions in your organization? For example, regulatory compliance, data quality, data security, data democratization, etc. 
• What are the current pain points or gaps in your project practices? For example, data silos, data duplication, data proliferation, data inconsistency, data breaches, etc. 
• What are the desired outcomes or benefits of data governance for your organization? For example, improved decision making, enhanced customer experience, increased efficiency, reduced risk, etc. 
• What are the key data domains or subject areas that are relevant for your organization? For example, customer data, intellectual property, product data, financial data, etc. 
• What are the existing record sources, systems and platforms in scope and/or priority for your data governance program? For example, databases, data warehouses, data lakes, cloud services, etc. 
• What are the roles and responsibilities of the data governance stakeholders in your organization? For example, data owners, data stewards, data consumers, data analysts, etc. 
• What are the current or expected challenges or hurdles to implementing data governance in your organization? For example, organizational culture, data literacy, change management, resource constraints, etc. 
• How do you measure or evaluate the success or impact of data governance in your organization? For example, key performance indicators, metrics, dashboards, reports, etc. 

These questions can help you define and scope your data governance project and communicate your needs and expectations to your potential partner. 

How to Choose the Right Partner for Data Governance 

Data management is not a simple or straightforward practice. It involves multiple dimensions, disciplines and stakeholders. It also requires a lot of planning, expertise and resources. Finding an experienced partner to help you navigate this complex and evolving field is integral to implementing successful solutions that fit your unique data environment. 

At SkyTerra Technologies, we are that partner. We are where security and data governance meet. We have the specialized skills and knowledge to help you with data discovery, classification and protection, as well as data quality, lineage, democratization, stewardship and measurement. We are not just a vendor, but a partner and a consultant. We can offer you customized solutions that fit your context and budget. 

We do not sell technology for technology’s sake. We sell solutions for your sake. We do not focus on Microsoft Purview or any other tool, but on your needs, challenges and goals. We do not impose a one-size-fits-all approach, but tailor a strategy that works for you. 

We are here to help you gain more control, visibility and value from your data, and leverage it as a strategic asset for your organization. 

If you are interested in data governance or have any questions or comments, please contact us today. We would love to hear from you and start a conversation.