In one of our previous blogs discussing data governance, Demystify Data Governance, we wrote about different approaches to data governance and why data governance will be crucial for effective data management and utilization of data for any business. Today, we no longer need to speak in the future tense but rather say that data governance is already crucial for organizations. In this blog, we will discuss why that is the case and talk about Collibra as one of the leading data governance platforms.
Why Is There So Much Talk About Data Governance Nowadays?
AI is for sure one of the hottest topics in technology today. It is driving innovation across various industries and transforming how businesses operate. Organizations increasingly include AI in their day-to-day activities to improve decision-making and automate processes. However, this cannot be done effectively without reliable data, and that’s where data governance comes into play. Data governance helps reduce risks such as data privacy breaches and biases in AI models and ensures that the data feeding AI systems is accurate and secure. But AI governance goes beyond data governance, as my colleague Giulia explains in her blog, so make sure to read it if you are interested in that topic.
Data Governance – Can It Be More Than Just Paperwork?
Data governance concepts are not something entirely new. Many organizations have likely already been practicing some form of data governance, but these efforts are often unstructured and lack a systematic approach. Effective data governance involves creating a structured framework that ensures data quality, security, and compliance, which enables organizations to maximize the value of their data. A data governance framework defines the processes and policies for managing the organization’s data along with data ownership and responsibilities, and lastly, the data governance tools that will be the best fit for a particular organization. Nevertheless, the essential part of the data governance puzzle are the users embracing the framework. To achieve this, they need to be made aware of all the benefits that data governance brings and how data governance practices will ease their pain points. Apart from that, the emphasis should be on the education of the users, so that they gain knowledge about incorporating data governance practices into their daily tasks more easily.
Choosing the Right Tool for Effective Data Governance
As mentioned above, part of building a data governance framework is choosing the appropriate data governance tools depending on the organization’s needs. Some of the main features of the data governance tools are:
- Data lineage tracking
- Business glossary
- Data marketplace
- Assigning ownership and responsibilities
- Data classification and policy management
Deciding on the right data governance tool can be daunting, with numerous tools available on the market. We at CROZ have gained experience delivering data governance solutions across multiple projects, leveraging different platforms and tools. In cooperation with one of our clients, we have worked with Collibra and recognized it as a valuable strategic partner in the data governance field, so our team has invested time in gaining knowledge and hands-on experience with the platform. In addition to including all the earlier mentioned main features, Collibra offers the following capabilities that were proven to be valuable throughout the project and the implementation of our internal use cases:
- a customizable operating model
- integrations with a large number of data sources
- workflows used to automate data governance processes and enable collaboration
- options for monitoring the data governance adoption
- a user-friendly interface designed for both technical and business users
All that Collibra has to offer has been recognized by Gartner, and Collibra has recently been identified as a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Data and Analytics Governance Platforms. According to Gartner, Leaders are companies that “execute well against their current vision and are well positioned for tomorrow” (source: Collibra). This recognition highlights Collibra’s capability to provide a robust governance solution that evolves with the market’s needs.
Stay tuned for our next blog post, where we will take a closer look at using the data product package in Collibra.
