Data Governance Consulting: bring in an expert hand

Data Governance - you need it to determine how data is managed effectively within the organization. Naturally, the first step is to implement a framework that does exactly that while aligning with your business goals.

But how do you know the framework you’ve chosen is correct? Or that you’ve implemented it in a way that will generate the value you require?

Blindly jumping into the Data Governance process without aligning it to your business' corporate goals - and existing attitudes to data - will only be a detriment to your cause. Many companies waste time and resources installing unsuitable frameworks that can steer them away from their commercial goals, as well as create data integrity issues.

Implementing a framework can be a difficult process that requires a lot of time and experienced personnel to do it properly for maximum efficiency and efficacy.

Having an external perspective that can help you identify what you need and how to achieve it can be essential, and help you prevent costly mistakes. Bring in an expert - bring in a Data Governance Consultant.

What does a Data Governance consultant do?

This expert advises on how you can create and implement a framework that aligns with your corporate and business needs. They’ll identify data assets and standardize planning to ensure those assets are meeting your needs. However, that is only a broad interpretation - they can provide much more. 

System implementation 

Depending on your industry and regulations within that industry, your Data Governance Consultant will recommend and implement a system that will ensure your data is trustworthy and compliant.

They will also liaise with data owners to compile a glossary of definitions, or dictionary - standardizing the language used around your data to aid understanding and eliminate data loss through human error.

This Data Dictionary will not only capture the language your business uses to describe itself, but can be shared - allowing this new lexicon to be kept consistent. What you do with this dictionary makes all the difference to its success.

Efficiency

Efficient and effective data management requires a streamlined data strategy to ensure organizational goals are met. The first step is involving key individuals and capturing shared goals. As a business, you want to adopt early engagement and ownership by these individuals, so they can understand the accountabilities and responsibilities that come with it. 

Democratization is vital to the efficiency and cementing understanding across the business. By collaborating with stakeholders, your data governance consultant will take into consideration all processes, and create a

 governance architecture to suit the needs of your organization as a whole - not just a few core decision-makers.

Synergy

With every new data discipline introduced - new goals, new tech, or new processes - a strong data governance framework will ensure the parts fit together perfectly to keep the output the same. 

By laying the groundwork, they are able to introduce scalability and keep your organization at a competitive advantage. 

Education

No matter where they are on the company ladder, not everyone is expected to have equal levels of understanding of data literacy. 

A Data Governance Consultant can help you put in plans to educate teams on the fundamentals, define their roles and responsibilities, and keep them abreast of any additions to the architecture.  

As their confidence in data literacy grows, the consultant will take a step back to allow businesses to fully empower themselves. However, they will still be able to advise you when necessary, like when new processes are introduced. 

A smooth transition

As a data governance program is an ongoing project, it will reach a place where it becomes an intrinsic part of your company’s culture - and a knowledge transfer will need to take place to ensure all across the democracy are aware of their roles in the new ‘business as usual’.

Once this learning is in place, together, you will curate a path for the future, keeping your business goals in mind and solving any challenges that approach during the transition period.

The Agile Approach

At Agile Solutions, our holistic approach covers four important pillars – people, process, data, and technology. We’ll work to design and implement pragmatic enterprise data governance solutions that work with and towards meeting commercial objectives – analyzing all relevant processes within your business to identify where data governance can add value and establish the amount of governance required.  

After the framework is in place, we’ll outline the roles and responsibilities of every person accountable for it – considering data literacy, current capabilities and knowledge, future vision, processes, and technologies to implement the correct, scalable support that can elevate confidence across the board.   

We can scale our method to suit your Data Governance requirements for: 

• a single Data Governance issue (such as compliance) 
• a line of business, department, or region 
• your entire organization 

When complete, the framework will utilize automation – working in the background to make good data business as usual.  

Final thoughts on data governance consultancy

Whether you’re implementing a Data Governance framework or on the very first step of your data journey, Agile Solutions can help you at every stage – from establishing your organization’s data strategy to the selection of the right tools.  

It all starts with a conversation with one of our Data Governance Consultants.  

Book your discovery call to discuss the role of Data Governance in your plans to become data-driven.