From the course: Managing Data Governance Automation Using DataGovOps

Data governance defined

From the course: Managing Data Governance Automation Using DataGovOps

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Data governance defined

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- In an increasingly digital and hyperconnected world, data has become a core lifeblood of organizations. Whether it's making timely decisions, improving healthcare outcomes, or driving innovation in artificial intelligence, data is an essential fuel powering today's digital economy. Even if an organization has just a few people, or it's global, data management is being employed. This means that at a minimum, basic tools and processes are being used to support the use, storage, and accessibility of data. However, it's now clear that data management alone is unlikely to unleash the potential of data for a company. It will take it a long way, but it may fall short of delivering on its promise, and it could even be a source of risk. Businesses are recognizing that to be truly data-driven, and foster a culture where data is a driver of success, requires more than just data management. At the heart of delivering the optimum value of data and appropriately managing any attendant risks is an additional layer of a capability called data governance. In simple terms, data governance is all about managing data well. Let's briefly look at what this governance capability is designed to deliver. Data has a lifecycle. In its basic form, it's essentially meaningless. Data must have context to become information. This information then drives actions, which can be used to develop insights, enable processes, and inform decisions. To be useful, and to empower this lifecycle, we have to have confidence in the quality of the source data. This means ensuring that it's accurate and up to date, that it's available to the right people and systems at the right time, and that it's appropriately protected and regulated. These qualities can only be achieved through agreed and approved policies and processes, clear accountability, the right tools, and committed leadership. This is at the heart of what data governance helps to achieve. It requires some level of rigor, but adoption can span from modest formality to highly formal, depending on an organization's size, complexity, and needs. It's not an exaggeration to suggest that when data is managed well, it can be transformational to an organization. In the last few years, data governance has become a much higher priority for businesses in every industry. Subsequently, demand for skills and innovative tools are at an all time high. Done right, data governance can unleash the value of data in your business. So let's next look at some of the contemporary ways you could make that happen.

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