Data integration combines information from multiple sources into unified, reliable data that drives business operations and decision-making. It consolidates data from databases, applications, spreadsheets, and tribal knowledge into a single cohesive system for effective use. Modern businesses generate vast amounts of data across different systems and departments. Without data integration, this information remains scattered and difficult to use. With it, organizations can […]
What Is Data Lineage?
Data lineage tracks and documents how data flows through systems and processes within an organization. Data professionals use automated tools and human oversight to track this movement, creating clear guidance and visualizations that support data quality and compliance. Through this mapping process, organizations trace data flows from source to destination across users and systems. The resulting documentation […]
What Is a Knowledge Graph?
A knowledge graph is a structured data representation that reveals patterns and connections in the real world. It consists of three components: Nodes: Real-world concepts – including entities, people, places, and things. Edges: Connections between the nodes – including activities and characteristics between nodes. Properties: Labels that provide additional context about the nodes, relationships, or both. See the image below: This model unifies disparate pieces […]
What Is Data Stewardship?
Data stewardship (DS) is the practice of overseeing an organization’s data assets to ensure they are accessible, reliable, and secure throughout their lifecycles. It is a framework of roles, responsibilities, and processes designed to support the organizational strategy through a data governance (DG) program. At its core, data stewardship comprises data stewards – formalized roles that take responsibility for their […]
What Is a Data Fabric?
Data fabric is an innovative approach to data architecture, and simplifies data management. At its core, data fabric is built on the principle of unification. This standardization serves two purposes: It creates a single-entry point for data consumers, and it enables seamless access to information, regardless of where that data is stored, computed, or administered. These outcomes happen through data […]
Improving Data Quality with Data Stewardship
To get value from data, data stewards must understand and apply business requirements. When business ambiguity arises about how to best serve data stakeholders, data stewards need to know how to find out this information and with whom to speak. By doing so, stewards can align fit-for-purpose data with business needs and improve data quality. Data stewards understand […]
What Is Master Data Management (MDM)? Definition, Components, Benefits, Uses
Master data management (MDM) is a set of practices and tools that help organizations define, unify, and manage their most important shared data assets. MDM provides a single, trusted view of key business entities like customers, products, and suppliers, ensuring data consistency and accuracy across all systems and departments. By ensuring master or “golden” records […]
What Is Data Literacy? Definition, Components, Uses
Data literacy (DL) describes how well an individual or organization understands, works with, analyzes, visualizes, and applies data to reach their goals. The specific context and use case determine what applying data literacy looks like in practice. For example, while reading visualizations on product deliveries provides value, true data literacy involves going further. It involves actively […]
What Is a Graph Database? Definition, Types, Uses
A graph database (GDB) models data as a combination of nodes (vertices) and edges (relationships) with equal importance. Businesspeople query these structures to reveal patterns and insights within the data and their associations. These would be difficult to discern from other data visualizations, such as tables, charts, and documents. Since humans naturally think by associating one concept with another, people […]
Automated Data Management Tools
“Why?” a chief technology officer (CTO) may ask when the subject of automated Data Management tools arises. After all, their organization has probably already been storing, archiving, and backing up enterprise data day after day with success. For example, setting up a Database-as-a-Service (DBaaS) from a reputable cloud computing provider, with appropriate access to data, […]