\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nThe Declaration of Independence states, \u201c<\/span>We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all\u00a0<\/span>men<\/span><\/b>\u00a0are\u202f<\/span>created<\/span>\u00a0equal<\/span><\/b>\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/span>But that truth does not extend to data.\u00a0<\/span>N<\/span>ot all data is created equal.\u00a0<\/span>My love of p<\/span>eaches\u00a0<\/span>is why<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>I<\/span>\u00a0cross the street, but the price is<\/span>n\u2019<\/span>t going to make\u00a0<\/span>my<\/span>\u00a0trip<\/span>\u00a0across Main Street<\/span>\u00a0safer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nRaw data, without context,\u00a0is next to useless.\u00a0<\/strong>Three properties of the information that have been properly transformed from raw data:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Must be Correct \u2013 accurate and complete<\/li>\n
- Must be\u00a0Clear \u2013 consistent\u00a0(correlated, connected, and conformed)\u00a0and comprehensible<\/li>\n
- Must be Convenient<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
When crossing Main Street, I need to know that\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>cross-walk\u00a0<\/span>signal<\/span>\u00a0is correct. I place my trust\u00a0<\/span>that<\/span>\u00a0the\u00a0<\/span>designers<\/span>\u00a0and installers have\u00a0<\/span>incorporated\u00a0<\/span>checks and balances\u00a0<\/span>to<\/span> ensure that the green walking man illuminates only when the cross-car<\/span>\u00a0traffic has a red light. <\/span>I also appreciate that the message is clear.\u00a0<\/span>I don\u2019t have to guess about the meaning. It\u2019s either safe, or it isn\u2019t.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\nI do<\/span>n\u2019t\u00a0<\/span>have to\u00a0<\/span>know<\/span>\u00a0French to\u00a0<\/span>understand<\/span>\u00a0the message\u00a0<\/span>at<\/span>\u00a0a cross-walk\u00a0<\/span>beside<\/span>\u00a0the Eiffel Tower. And I can\u00a0<\/span>easily\u00a0<\/span>use\u00a0<\/span>the<\/span> information because the sign is conveniently located at the intersection. <\/span>Imagine if the cross-walk\u00a0<\/span>signal\u00a0<\/span>had been designed as an 800-number that I needed to call?\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cData Governance\u201d\u00a0Isn\u2019t a Four-letter Word<\/h2>\n
Data governance has been around for many years. Many companies, excited about\u00a0the promise,\u00a0started\u00a0their\u00a0data\u00a0governance program. Many\u00a0never finished. The work was\u00a0<\/span>difficult,<\/span>\u00a0and the return proved lackluster.\u00a0<\/span>Before long \u201cData Governance\u201d became a dirty word. <\/span>Too much\u00a0<\/span>effort<\/span>\u00a0without any benefit\u00a0<\/span>led<\/span>\u00a0companies to abandon their\u00a0<\/span>projects<\/span>. The goal wasn\u2019t wrong, the approach w<\/strong><\/span>as wrong, and the pain was real.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\nWhere did we go wrong? Several places: we started wrong, we attempted too much, and we took some ill-advised short-cuts. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n1. The Business Must Lead<\/h3>\n
Data governance is a business exercise, not a technical one.\u00a0<\/span>M<\/span>any companies\u00a0<\/span>have a<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>wall<\/span>\u00a0between the business<\/span>\u00a0group<\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>technology<\/span>\u00a0group<\/span> that neither side understands.\u00a0<\/span>Too many times\u00a0<\/span>reporting\u00a0<\/span>projects are thrown over the\u00a0<\/span>wall<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>toward the<\/span>\u00a0technology<\/span>\u00a0group<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>Many are last-minute and high-priority. <\/span>T<\/span>oo many times\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>technology\u00a0<\/span>group\u00a0<\/span>throws their collective hands into the air because they feel they are asked to do the impossible<\/span>. This is bad, but\u00a0<\/span>it<\/span>\u00a0can get<\/span>\u00a0worse<\/span>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nImagine that<\/span>\u00a0the\u00a0<\/span>technology group\u00a0<\/span>simply\u00a0<\/span>push<\/span>es<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>past<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>their\u00a0<\/span>own\u00a0<\/span>ignorance and deliver<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0a\u00a0<\/span>report<\/span>\u00a0that is just wrong<\/span>?<\/span>\u00a0The business\u00a0<\/span>thought<\/span>\u00a0the request\u00a0<\/span>was<\/span>\u00a0simple<\/span>\u00a0to understand,<\/span>\u00a0but\u00a0<\/span>they lacked the<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>require<\/span>d<\/span>\u00a0technical expertise. <\/span>The<\/span>y\u00a0<\/span>forg<\/span>ot<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>a simple truth. <\/span>J<\/span>ust\u00a0<\/span>like<\/span>\u00a0they were not hired for their technical\u00a0<\/span>knowledge<\/span>, the technology\u00a0<\/span>group was<\/span>\u00a0not hired for their business\u00a0<\/span>knowledge<\/span>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nSince the\u00a0overall\u00a0usefulness\u00a0of the information matters to the business, the\u00a0business\u00a0must take\u00a0ownership.\u00a0<\/strong>The mechanism for taking that responsibility is data governance.<\/p>\n2. Don\u2019t Try to Do It All at Once<\/h3>\n
Data Governance is not a once-and-done exercise.\u00a0<\/span>The<\/span>\u00a0Big Bang apparently work<\/span>ed<\/span>\u00a0for the\u00a0<\/span>universe but<\/span>\u00a0is a poor choice for Data Governance.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\nToo many companies have tried to\u00a0develop\u00a0governance for everything in their data sphere. They get stuck in analysis, with\u00a0every element uncovered leading to more.\u00a0Without\u00a0a defining\u00a0scope,\u00a0they get lost in an endless cycle of discovery.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\nY<\/span>ou\u00a0<\/span>may<\/span>