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 […]
Demonstrating the Value of Data Governance
As organizations strive to become more data-driven, they increasingly recognize the importance of Data Governance (DG), a business program supporting harmonized data activities. However, business leaders, colleagues, and workers often express confusion about DG policies and need clarity around its value. This article tackles this issue by exploring the top 10 ways for effectively articulating the value […]
Women in Data: Meet Classification Guru Susan Walsh
To celebrate International Women’s Day, we’re kicking off a new Q&A series with women leaders in data. Our first installment features Susan Walsh, aka the Classification Guru. Susan Walsh didn’t always aspire to be a data classification expert. But after spending a decade honing her data skills – cleaning and classifying erroneous data – she […]
Metadata Governance: Crucial to Managing IoT
The Internet of Things (IoT), devices that produce and consume data through the internet, will likely comprise over 207 billion devices by the end of 2024. These widgets generate, consume, and send vast data over business networks. As a result, organizations must include IoT in their Data Governance programs to ensure better integration and legal compliance. Without effective governance, firms […]
The Impact of Poor Data Quality (and How to Fix It)
The dangers of poor data quality can cause significant damage to a business. Poor-quality data can lead to poor customer relations, inaccurate analytics, and bad decisions, harming business performance. The sources of poor data quality may seem like a small issue, but the impact can easily become magnified as repeat errors and different types of […]
The Impact of Data Silos (and How to Prevent Them)
Data silos often develop unintentionally within businesses, catching leaders by surprise. They hinder cross-departmental collaboration while giving rise to inconsistent data quality, communication gaps, reduced visibility, and increased expenses. The gravity of impact can be gauged from a report by Forrester research, which finds that knowledge workers spend an average of 12 hours a week “chasing data.” […]