Data discovery deals with extracting useful information from data and presenting it in a visual format that is easily understood. The types of useful information discovered during the process range from finding patterns in human behavior to gaining insights about data glitches to answering highly specific business questions. Using data taken from a variety of […]
Data Governance Metrics: How to Measure Success
The use of Data Governance metrics as a measurement system promotes the efficient use and management of data. Establishing key performance indicators (KPIs) is normally the first step in monitoring and measuring the effectiveness of a Data Governance program. These indicators allow organizations to assess and adjust their Data Governance strategies. A measurement system allows […]
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, […]
Master Data vs. Reference Data
The terms “master data” and “reference data” can be confused fairly easily. Both provide data that changes only occasionally over time and provide data that is designed to be accurate and up to date. Master data provides the accurate information needed for business transactions that are critical to the running of a business – the […]
Types of Data Integrity
Over time, different types of data integrity systems and methods for promoting data integrity have been developed. Data integrity emphasizes confirming the data remains unchanged and consistent over the data’s entire lifecycle. In essence, the data remains pure and uncorrupted. Security plays an important role in ensuring the data is not altered and maintains its […]
Women in Data: Meet Dr. Christina Sandema-Sombe
The latest installment in our Q&A series with women leaders in data features Dr. Christina Sandema-Sombe, chief data steward of Nike, Inc. (Read our previous Q&A here.) Dr. Christina Sandema-Sombe first learned the joys – and challenges – of working with data as the global impact measurement lead at a humanitarian aid organization. Over a decade […]
Data Stewardship Best Practices
As we continue to do business in a digitally connected world, more data-driven organizations are prioritizing data stewardship and following best practices to improve data quality and management. Data stewards maintain and protect data assets that need special care, not just for cybersecurity but for better business insights and more informed decision-making. In his presentation at a […]
What Is Data Reliability and Why Do You Need It?
“Can I trust this data?” In the dawning age of artificial intelligence (AI), this question becomes increasingly critical for individuals and organizations. Data reliability is the cornerstone of an organization’s data-driven decision-making. A recent survey from Precisely identified data-driven decision-making as the primary goal of 77% of data initiatives, yet only 46% of organizations have high or very […]
Case Study: Establishing a Data-Literate Culture
Imagine a rapidly expanding small business with a 20% yearly growth tasked with establishing and maintaining a data-literate culture. Then, add a new Data Architecture upgrade with considerable changes to the business logic to this situation, causing a full-on panic. This journey, marked by confusion over data definitions and anxiety over system changes, describes the situation that Brooke Gajownik, director of […]
Fundamentals of Data Classification
The process of data classification can be broadly described as the organization of data into relevant categories, allowing it to be accessed and protected more efficiently. In the simplest terms, the data classification process ranks data based on its security needs and makes it easier to locate and retrieve data. Classification is especially useful to […]