Data silos represent a major business challenge, as noted by 60.9% of organizations in a recent Trends in Data Management survey. Without shared information, companies risk duplication, poor data quality, and missed opportunities for innovation. Consequently, many companies turn to modern and integrated data architectures. When doing so, organizations often consider two main approaches: data mesh and data fabric. Data […]
Data Architecture Best Practices
The term “data architecture” refers to a collection of implementable standards and protocols that govern the collection, storage, preparation, sharing, and distribution of data. This predefined set of standards and protocols is designed to enhance the scope and purpose of data analysis in the busy business environment. One major problem with traditional data management systems […]
Implementing Data Fabric: 7 Key Steps
Understanding the importance of data integration is vital in the intricate process of implementing a data fabric. Data fabric architecture aims to create a unified and integrated environment for managing an organization’s data sprawl across various platforms and systems. Within this context, the data integration step ensures disparate data sources are seamlessly connected, enabling a fluid exchange […]
Demystifying Metadata Management for Tech and Business
Metadata is of critical interest in today’s data-driven business environment, and there is a growing awareness of the need for both business and technical users to embrace it, says Donna Burbank, Managing Director of Global Data Strategy and author of “Data Modeling for the Business” and “Data Modeling Made Simple.” Speaking at a previous Data Architecture Online conference, Burbank talked about practical […]
The Changing Role of the Chief Data Officer
In a 2005 interview, Usama Fayyad described his recent appointment as Yahoo’s chief data officer (CDO), a role that had been introduced in the business world only a few years prior. He defined a CDO as: “Someone to lead all strategic data activities and to represent data as a strategic asset that DRIVES business and […]
Data Ethics 101
Data ethics ensures that businesses handle data – beginning with its acquisition and ending with its distribution – with full attention to individual rights, privacy, and consent. Moreover, ethical decision-making in businesses has to strike a balance between technology and morality to preserve individual rights. This includes considerations around transparency, accountability, and fairness in the […]
Data Integrity: What It Is and Why It Matters
The term “garbage in, garbage out,” or GIGO, dates back to the earliest days of commercial computing in the mid-20th century. Yet the concept was present more than 100 years earlier at the very dawn of computing. When Charles Babbage first described his difference engine, a member of Parliament asked him whether the machine could generate […]
Data Modeling and Data Models: Not Just for Database Design
“The main purpose of a data model is actually not to design a database – it’s to describe a business,” said Christopher Bradley, information strategist at DMA Advisors. Bradley spoke at a recent Data Architecture Online conference about the purpose of Data Modeling and its role in Data Governance and the modern successful business. Are […]
Data Governance and AI Governance: Where Do They Intersect?
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming businesses and industries worldwide with new data products and services. A recent Stanford University AI Index Report found that about 55% of companies have already implemented AI in at least one business unit or function. To get the best results, organizations need to connect AI and its data activity with their business strategy. So, […]
Data Ethics 101
The term “data ethics” refers to a set of guidelines that ensure data collection, use, and management processes respect privacy and security while safeguarding fairness. This includes considering the implications of data collection methods, the transparency of algorithms used to process information, and how decisions based on data analysis might affect individuals and communities. What […]