Many software vendors, analyst and journalist are overusing the term “Data Governance” in today’s complex business and IT environments. However, it has become one of the primary goals and drivers for data-related IT projects while at the same time being one of the most difficult to define, measure and quantify. What real meaning can we give to the concept of Data Governance? What is its importance, impact and meaning for the enterprise?
To try returning some meaning and context to Data Governance, let’s go back to the semantics through an analogy understandable by everyone, and insightful in the smallest detail.
Welcome to Data Land… If data are its citizens, the governance of such a country would aim at ensuring that these data co-exist in a peaceful way, stayed healthy, enriched themselves, were not living on top of each other, did not destroy each other in the case of conflict, and most importantly work together every year at improving the GDP of Data Land. This means creating value by the use and action of everyone. Of course, bioethics laws would prevent the cloning or duplication of its inhabitants. Data governance would then define itself as a framework that intends to ensure the efficient management of the data in the enterprise. Putting data under governance prevents its chaotic generation and use.