Data-driven decision-making involves utilizing data and analytics to solve business problems. Relying on facts rather than intuition or personal opinions can lead to more accurate and effective decisions. In business organizations, evidence-based decisions can optimize operations, enhance productivity, and drive growth. By examining trends, patterns, and correlations within datasets, business operators can uncover valuable information that helps […]
Fundamentals of Document Databases
A document database (sometimes referred to as a “document store” or a “document-oriented database”), is a NoSQL or non-relational database. However, document databases use an index to associate “keys” with “documents,” making them more efficient at retrieving data. Unlike relational databases, document databases are not structured with a format of rows and columns, but scale […]
Master Data Management Tools
Master data management uses a combination of tools and business processes to ensure the organization’s master data is complete, accurate, and consistent. Master data describes all the “relatively stable” data that is critical for operating the business. This includes semi-permanent information about products, locations, employees, customers, etc. For example, if a specific customer purchases several products […]
What Are Data Sharing Agreements and Why Are They Important?
Data sharing agreements play a crucial role in today’s interconnected world as global organizations depend on the quick sharing of information for efficient business outcomes. In the simplest terms, data sharing agreements outline the conditions under which data may be shared between parties, with full attention to confidentiality and legal compliance. Legal Requirements and Confidentiality […]
Metadata Management Best Practices
Using metadata management best practices helps to maximize the value of the data stored by an organization. Finding the right data after it has been placed in storage can be difficult if the storage system has no organization. Metadata is used to organize the data so it can be found easily. Metadata is essentially a […]
Critical Data Elements Explained
The process of identifying critical data elements (CDEs) is a fairly new best practice in Data Governance programs. Software does not yet support the identification process. CDEs may be described as the specific data needed for doing business (requiring high-quality data) or the specific data that is extremely sensitive (requiring good security). These particular data […]
How to Become a Data Governance Specialist
A Data Governance specialist is responsible for deploying and enforcing policies and procedures that ensure data is used and maintained properly. Some organizations confuse the title “Data Governance (DG) Specialist” with the title “Data Governance Manager.” The DG specialist is not a member of upper-level management and does not dictate policy. This person, however, must […]
Fundamentals of Data Access Management
Across all industries, and in businesses of all sizes, one thing holds true: The more you know about your customers, the greater your organization’s chances for success. This makes data your company’s most valuable non-human asset. As the revenue potential of data increases, the job of protecting that data becomes more important and more challenging. […]
Data Governance vs. Data Management
When managers and workers discuss Data Governance (DG), a business program that supports harmonized data activities, vs. Data Management (DM), a comprehensive collection of practices, concepts, and processes dedicated to leveraging data assets, they often use the terms interchangeably. Sometimes, both words point to the same concepts, and these conversations remain productive. At other times, switching between […]
Key-Value Databases Demystified
In 1966, a DEC PDP-7 computer was delivered to the Massachusetts General Hospital without any programming. The hospital had invested in a computer but had no way to run it. At this time, there was very little in the way of software options, operating systems, or database support. The hospital did, however, have access to […]