Customer Data Integration: Reaching a Single Version of the Truth

A CASE FOR DATA GOVERNANCE

If data were just an information technology (IT) concern it would be simpler to manage. But data is inextricably linked to the business, and thus needs to be defined, cleansed, integrated, and deployed. The hard part is carving out the processes and policies to ensure that all critical data is managed correctly and consistently.

Recall in Chapter 4 that we introduced data governance as a subset of IT governance. This is because data governance is frequently launched under the auspices of a larger, IT governance structure. IT governance is a more overarching set of processes that administer the use of IT assets to maximize business benefits. In their book IT Governance, Weil and Ross define IT governance as “specifying the decision rights and accountability framework to encourage desirable behavior in using IT” and pair it with the governance of information.² IT governance is, of course, broader and more complex than data governance. But they share principles of formulating policies and convening cross-functional teams from both business and IT. Both focus on resolving conflicts around the sharing and usage of their respective assets, and both aim to leverage the asset in the best way possible. The IT governance body usually deals with overarching issues such as the approval of business cases for strategic IT projects, prioritization of new projects, decisions about capital expenditures, and general funding issues.

However, data governance can exist ...