by Angela Guess
Rob Karel of Informatica has written an article regarding measuring Data Governance. He writes, “The next facet on the tour of our data governance framework can be one of the most frustrating for those driving data governance efforts within their organization: Measurement. The concept of data governance has experienced a boost in credibility over the past few years. Many business leaders finally acknowledge the need to transform their organizations into information-centric entities to combat explosive data growth, complex regulatory edicts, and tackling emerging commerce channels like mobile and social. But justifying the rhetoric that data is a critical corporate asset is a whole lot simpler than justifying and prioritizing actual funding, headcount, IT investments and process transformations that the management and governance of this data requires.”
He continues, “In 2001 I met a VP of data management for a large global tech company who told me, ’It took me three years and millions of dollars to recognize that data management is an enabler supporting the business, but [it] does not in and of itself reduce costs or deliver revenue.’ This was an important a-ha moment for me – and I believe a necessary one for any data management professional. This realization helped shift my focus away from the data-centric perspective alone and encouraged me to really focus on the business processes, decisions and interactions that the data was enabling. This is where the value can be measured most effectively. I discuss tips on how to short list these business opportunities in more detail in my vision and business case post.”
