Data governance sounds like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. If you are interested in making your data management better or just curious about the benefits of data governance, then this article is for you! Data governance tools can help improve organizational efficiency and compliance with regulations. But how do we get started? Here, take a look at nine steps that will lead to successful data governance in your organization today!
1. Know Your Data
Before anybody can do anything with the data, you must know what it is. You should be able to define your data and identify where it lives before starting any sort of governance project. Without knowing what your data is, you will not determine how it should be governed. So what exactly is data? Data can be defined as facts and statistics collected for reference or analysis. This definition alone makes it clear that your organization should know where its data lives to govern it effectively.
2. Get Everyone Involved
Any governance project will likely involve many different departments within an organization, so you must ensure everyone’s input is heard. You should also ensure that any team assigned to the project knows what they are doing and is capable of having a meaningful impact on your data governance.
3. Identify Metrics for Success
You must have specific metrics in place to determine whether your data governance efforts are successful, so identifying them before starting will help you create milestones for your project. These metrics may change as you move through the nine steps, but they should still help to determine whether data governance is successful in your organization, because performance benchmarking should always be a priority.
4. Define the Rules of Engagement
Once you know what data exists and where it lives, you can start thinking about rules for engagement. You understand how your organization uses its data; then, you must determine how that information is used outside the company. Is there any way in which employees are using their workstations or cell phones for personal use? What about logging into social media accounts through a company computer? What are the responsibilities of each team member? Who has access to specific datasets or fields?
5. Create a Strategy for Data Governance
Now that we have taken care of some preliminary items on our list, let’s create an actual strategy for data governance. First, we will want to define the scope of your project and then determine what exactly you are looking to accomplish in this process. Is it to control the flow of data in and out? Do you want to ensure that all datasets are correctly labeled so they can be easily identified by any team member needing access, or do you need a more granular strategy for this? What is your long-term goal for data governance within your organization?
6. Establish Clear Roles and Responsibilities
Once we have a better idea about how our organization functions concerning its data, it is important that we identify who are responsible for their roles within the company’s structure. For example, if there is an information security officer or compliance manager on staff at your company, the person should be involved in some capacity when implementing data governance procedures. But don’t stop there! If possible, try identifying all roles and responsibilities associated with each stage of your project’s life cycle before making any final decisions regarding execution.
7. Develop an Information Architecture
Now that we have identified the players, roles, and responsibilities, it is time to look at how information flows in our organization. What are some of your company’s most important assets? Where do they live? How do people access them within each division or department? These questions will help you determine what type of data governance strategy should be developed for specific projects.
8. Create a Data Governance Model
Put together a data governance model that can be implemented across the entire organization. It should include all of your existing rules, processes, and procedures for information management in addition to any new ones you have developed during this process. Your company will use this plan moving forward when it comes to data management.
9. Continually Monitor and Evaluate Results
The final step in this process would be to monitor results on an ongoing basis. This can lead to identifying opportunities that were not possible before implementing these strategies into practice! Don’t forget about measuring impact either — depending on which goals you decide upon when starting. There may very well be a financial cost associated with data governance procedures into daily operations. However, if it helps the organization run more efficiently and keeps legal or compliance issues at bay, then it may be well worth any associated costs.
You can easily monitor results with a data governance software solution. With this type of technology in place, you can ensure that your valuable information assets are being used by all employees for work purposes only. This is important to maintain regulatory compliance and to streamline business processes across teams! Data governance programs will create accountability among employees while making sure they are using company-wide resources properly.
Data Governance is vital to any business that wants to avoid fines and legal repercussions. The nine steps we’ve outlined should help you get started on your journey towards a successful data governance strategy for your organization.
