How to choose the best data governance software

The best data governance software

I get asked about tech a lot.

What data governance software should we go for?

What do you think of tool x?

How are we meant to make any progress here when we are doing everything in spreadsheets?

I can see the logic here. We are used to the idea that we buy tools to help us achieve objectives.

If we want to take up running, we need running shoes. And new running kit. And a smart watch. And some wireless earbuds. And, and, and, and.

Buying equipment for a new activity or hobby is actually a recommended way to start. The act of buying the running shoes, or the kitchen gadget, or the guitar, or the new bicycle - is a way of building enthusiasm for the new activity, making you more excited about getting started.

What we do need to consider is how many of those purchases are necessary. Whilst you don’t need much equipment to start running, different people will make different value judgements on how much they want to spend and how many of those items they consider necessary.

The difference in the data world is that our new equipment isn’t a case of buying a pair of trainers online, or finding a starter guitar on eBay.

Our tools and tech solutions are expensive, and funding them is going to require the agreement of someone pretty senior in your organisation.

That requires you to build a strong business case to justify the acquisition, and that is far from easy to do.

If your pitch is about risk mitigation, then you be setting out the risks that are relevant, together with their likelihood and impact. Alongside that you’ll want to demonstrate how your solution will materially mitigate those risks.

If you are addressing the financial impact of poor data quality, then you need to explain what the issues are; how you’ll address them; and the “return on investment” - the financial benefits of the improved data, compared to the cost of the software, its implementation and its ongoing support.

Working backwards, the act of creating these business cases uses many of the building blocks of data governance.

• What area of data are we focusing on?

• What do we mean by that data?

• What are we using it for?

• Where is it?

• Who knows about it?

• How good is “good enough”?

• How can we measure if it is “good enough”?

• What do we do if it isn’t “good enough”?

These all link to our underlying components:

• Data Definitions

• Data Community

• Data Lineage

• Data Issue Management

So now we come to an understanding that we need to understand these fundamentals before we get near to going shopping for tools and tech.

What does this entail?

• Talking to your stakeholders

• Understanding the business needs and the business strategy

• Designing a solution

Done successfully, you will soon be looking to bring in the technology to enable you to scale up your activities.

Then you can have the fun of going shopping.

Before you do so, check out our webinar about procuring a data solution.

Going back to our running example, it’s great to have all the kit, but the first thing you require is to put your feet inside some trainers and start moving.

Have a wonderful week,
CharlesHow