Data Governance Interview - Shamma Raghib

Shamma M. Raghib is a Solutions Expert in Data Governance at Collibra. She is driving Data Governance initiatives across the EMEA region. Apart from working at Collibra, Shamma is also a Business Data Scientist, an advocate for women in technology and often works closely with local technology startups to enable high potentials.

How long have you been working in Data Governance?

I have been working in Data Governance since 2015.

Some people view Data Governance as an unusual career choice, would you mind sharing how you got into this area of work?

Back then, I had little understanding of the term “Data Governance”. In the software out there, most of them provide a very technical solution and ‘governance’ is just a very small part of it.  Collibra approached me to work in this relatively unusual work field and I insisted on a short description of how the software works to address data governance initiatives.

After talking to my future colleagues, I was convinced that there is a high market need for data governance experts and the market needs a very comprehensive enterprise to do that with partners and experts to enable that.  I was convinced that any data driven enterprise needs a collaborative platform that enables data producers and consumers.  I personally believe that Collibra provides that solution.

What characteristics do you have that make you successful at Data Governance and why?

Data Governance is not about me as an individual, however for data driven organizations, to make Data Governance successful, it should be a very collaborative, co-operative initiative as a whole. I try to focus on that. 

For low maturity data governance programs, the first step I ask them to take is to identify the key stakeholders who will drive the program, take ownership and responsibility, and govern rules. Initially there are few things that the council should focus on – the rules that the program is creating (whether regulatory/policy/accountability etc.) and the engagement between the stakeholders. The next step is the process that the people need to follow in order to manage the data, cost, complexity, quality while ensuring compliance.

To make these initiatives successful, not only you need a buy-in from key stakeholders, with a vision and an end-goal, directive but you would also need to provide for successful change management. Over time, data governance should facilitate their work, provide trusted source(s) of data and enable them to keep making data value driven growth and change programmes in the organizations.

My approach to data governance initiatives is to identify what are the exact pain points that the customer want to solve and what is the immediate need. Then we can work from a top down approach or a bottom up approach depending on the needs. An assessment can be conducted to ensure long term sustainability of the proposed data governance structure.

Are there any particular books or resources that you would recommend as useful support for those starting out in Data Governance?

The DAMA Guide to Data Management is a good base for understanding your key requirements on Data Governance. There are also other DGI frameworks you can look into.  Moreover, compass.collibra.com is a good place to start searching for your operating model (to identify your key stakeholders, collaboration approaches, data / asset types, integration requirements etc.).

What is the biggest challenge you have ever faced in a Data Governance implementation?

The biggest challenge I have faced is not external, it internal to the customer's organization.

Helping people to understand why a data governance program needs to be in place is the toughest job to do and can only be managed by leaders maintaining the expectations and enabling the work of the stakeholders. Apart from a tool that enables this, every data stakeholder should be able to see the short term and long term benefits. I try to focus on this while working with clients.

Messaging and managing expectations should be clear and change management should be done in phases to get people to understand that governance is not equal to control. The challenge is more to make them understand that data governance is more planning, managing, monitoring and enforcing data management by the people and processes in the organization.

Is there a company or industry you would particularly like to help implement Data Governance for and why?

I have always been a key supporter in enabling and helping the healthcare industry – especially around data governance.  Because of the fast paced, high-growth system and data turnover of this industry, data management and governance of patient data is crucial to ensure patient data is maintained with a certain trusted standard and information source.

Currently the healthcare industries use varying degrees of data requirements and regulations around this are quite strict. At times, it can be difficult to find information as a doctor or nurse. Examples could be as simple as “What is the chemical name of medicinal product code mentioned in a patient report?” or it could be something challenging such as “When should I upgrade the system?”, “Where can I find information about a new system/ technology?” and so on.

What single piece of advice would you give someone just starting out in Data Governance?

Part of my background is in Business Process Management, which is a small component of data governance. For me it is key to get stakeholder buy-in before jumping into an initiative.

It is also key to maintain messaging around it and to realize that a tool should be in place to facilitate data governance initiatives and not to replace the existing landscape completely. The coordinated decisions made by Business and IT need to be there as a data authority that understands the needs of both sides.

Finally, I wondered if you could share a memorable data governance experience (either humorous or challenging)?

I found it funny that in one of my product demonstrations, the lady on the other side asked me, “How would you describe data governance to a ten year old?”. I was a bit taken aback but I gave an answer which, in hindsight was not the best but it seemed to satisfy her query. I said, “Data Governance: when you are trying to look for a how-to-play guide for your new PS3 game, where do you look for it? Inside the help book or help section in the game. The fact that it is a rule in game companies that every game should have a guidebook or a help section, is due to a data authority performing data governance.”

Having read my interview with Shamma you can also read my free report which reveals why companies struggle to successfully implement data governance.  

Discover how to quickly get you data governance initiative on track by downloading this free report

Data Governance Interview - Nick Keen

I'm really pleased that Nick agreed to be interviewed for this blog.  I met him at a recent joint DAMA UK, BCS DMSG event.  After hearing him present passionately on Data Governance, I just had to ask him to do this interview!

Nick is the Data Governance lead at the Environment Agency working internally across the entire organisation covering anything from flooding, fisheries environmental crime to facilities management. Nick assesses how well the Environment Agency looks after its data and helps put in place actions to improve and reduce the risk from poor data governance. Without this strong foundation, Open Data would be incredibly difficult.

How long have you been working in Data Governance?

Since December 2011 so coming on for 5 years.

How did you start working in Data Governance?

I saw a job advertisement in a team headed up a former colleague (now my boss) in the Environmental Crime world (investigating it, not causing it!).  Knowing how enthusiastic she was about the work she was doing, and having had similar career paths I thought it sounded like an ideal move. I went for the job, managed to persuade the interviewers I was the right person and here I am.

What where your initial thoughts when you first fully understood what you had got into?

Have I made the right move? Am I doing the right thing? What do all these technical terms mean? How am I supposed to do this?

Luckily there were a lot of the relationships and tools in place thanks to the work Lisa had done.

Are there any particular resources that you found useful support when you were starting out?

Without sounding like I want a pay increase – my boss and the team around me.  They are always there to guide me, offer advice and importantly suggest different ways to tackle a problem.  Many of the teams we work with have tremendous data knowledge – working with them, and listening to their knowledge and experience has helped loads.

There is a lot of well-intentioned advice out there but in particular the DAMA resources are really useful.

What is the biggest Data Governance challenge you have faced so far?

The biggest challenge is also the biggest positive aspect – People.  It can be difficult to engage with some when you mention the word data – let alone governance. But once you can talk in the right language and they see the value of data, the job becomes so much easier.

What have you implemented or solved so far that you are particularly proud of?

Helping develop and work with the business to complete data maturity assessments.  These are accepted as part of business as usual to help identify areas we can work on together to improve our data.

The results are used by the Board to help reduce and manage corporate risk.

What single piece of advice would you give someone just starting out in Data Governance?

Don’t force your opinions on people – work with them and show them the value of data but do it in their language.  (Ok that’s two but we’re not doing a data quality check…are we?)

Finally, what do you wish you had known or done differently when you were just starting out in Data Governance?

Not tried to use the big stick!  It’s so much easier to use the carrot and take people along on the journey with you.  If you can talk in their language (don’t always use the G word!) it becomes real and they can see the benefit.  I remember one senior manager said to me that I don’t understand what you mean. Three things helped me turn that around 

(i)                I mentioned a spreadsheet I knew his team managed.  It helped prove the work they do and what they achieve.  Oh – and that they use data

(ii)              I then said how important it was to have the right data. Oh – that’s data quality

(iii)            Lastly, I said how someone else wanted to take it away from them. The reply was but that’s mine…And there we have it, I had an owner!

Having read my interview with Nick you can also read my free report which reveals why companies struggle to successfully implement data governance.  

Discover how to quickly get you data governance initiative on track by downloading this free report

Soft Skills are Vital for Data Governance Success

Since 2003 I have been helping individuals and organisations implement Data Governance and since 2011 I’ve been running training courses on Data Governance.  One of the interesting things that I have noticed is that most people think data governance is a technical or analytical subject, but in reality the majority of Data Governance activities are undertaken by business users. I have discovered the most successful Data Governance schemes are run as change management initiatives, led and supported by individuals with well developed soft skills. 

Passion, enthusiasm and the ability to motivate others towards achievement of a goal, whether in Data Governance or any major change programme, will stack the odds of success in your favour.  To some of you reading this, Data Governance may seem a strange thing to be passionate about, but consider this:

If you’re not buying it, they’re not buying it!

And that means bad news for everyone.

Being a strong communicator is also a huge asset. You will need to convince people on a large scale, and influence them individually when proposing new approaches to governing their data. As with any change there will be resistance and having the soft skills to deal with that resistance positively definitely works to your advantage.  

If you are currently working on a Data Governance initiative and feel that communication skills are not your strong suit, don’t worry – they can be learned through training, coaching and of course practice!

On my standard one day course there is a section entirely devoted to the soft skills you need to be successful at Data Governance.  The day is also full of group exercises and discussions to help attendees practice sharing their passion for the subject. 

The format of the course has proved very successful and although I have received repeated requests to make my course available online, I have always worried whether it would work as well in that format.  However, I also have to acknowledge that taking a day out of the office and travelling to attend a course is just not possible for some people.  I advocate using a pragmatic approach when implementing Data Governance and decided to apply that approach to the delivery of my training courses as well.  I still feel that being able to interact with and support the participants would be key so I have created an online course with different levels of support available.

Feedback from a pilot of the online course has been so positive that I am very pleased to announce the launch of my online course.  To find out more details click here.

And whatever stage you currently are in your Data Governance journey don’t forget that spending some time focussing on your soft skills will make a significant contribution to the success of your initiative.

My free report reveals why companies struggle to successfully implement data governance.  

Discover how to quickly get you data governance initiative on track by downloading this free report

Can You Automate Data Governance?

Last month, I was at the IRM UK Master Data Management and Data Governance conferences in London. It's great to attend data conferences as they provide valuable opportunities to both learn from others and network with fellow data professionals. This conference was no exception. There was a real buzz and enthusiasm amongst everyone and I was really pleased to see that once again there were an increasing number of attendees with Data Governance in their job titles.

As well as presenting a tutorial on Communicating Your Data Governance Message, I also co-presented with Conrad Chuang of Orchestra Networks. I'd never presented with Conrad before, but as soon as we started preparing for the presentation it was clear that he is as passionate about data as I am. In preparation for the presentation, our conversations frequently included sharing our anecdotes from helping companies with their data. In fact, we did this so much so that it soon became clear that we both had valuable experiences that we ought to share with an audience and by the time we got to deliver the presentation it felt more like Conrad and I were having a conversation about data governance than doing a formal presentation.

The topic of our presentation was Automating Data Governance Policy. The title itself is an indication of how the Data Governance arena is evolving and maturing. Only a few years ago, there were no tools that could help you with your Data Governance initiative whereas today there is a choice of tools.

Last month Conrad and I shared a number of facets of Data Governance as well as related activities that can now all be facilitated with the use of tools. Please note that facilitated is the important word in the previous sentence and you cannot get away from the fact that Data Governance is primarily about people and processes. Tools cannot change this, they can just make life easier for you when implementing and embedding Data Governance. Anyone who forgets this will struggle to be successful!

But if you are clear on the best way to use such tools, they can be very valuable in accelerating and embedding your data governance initiative. If you were not able to attend the conference and missed our presentation don't worry. The feedback was so positive that Orchestra Networks have asked me to repeat the presentation with Conrad as a webinar later this month. You can find out more and register for the webinar here.

If you did make the conference and have found other ways to automate your Data Governance activities please let me know. I'm always keen to hear about innovative practices!

My free report reveals why companies struggle to successfully implement data governance.  

Discover how to quickly get you data governance initiative on track by downloading this free report

Data Governance Interview Questions - Josiah Kimani

Josiah Kimani is a dedicated professional in the data industry. Having studied in Kenya at the Strathmore University in Management of Information Systems, he exudes a great passion on the quality and governance of data for the benefit of any organization he engages with. He specializes in quality of reference data, process improvement to ensure data is right first time and also issue resolution management, because as sure as you will find issue with data, he believes you need a robust mechanism to resolve those issues. He is an expert in his own right and a delight to work with.

How long have you been working in Data Governance?

I started working in data governance as a freelance consultant for small businesses in 2008. I then took it seriously in 2011 when I realized that it was an extremely important space to be in. So I would say 7 years in total.

How did you start working in Data Governance?

Well I started by helping out small businesses in capturing their data in a structured manner that allowed them to report on the performance of their businesses. This then led me to an environment where data was not very well handled by front line staff which was having an impact in the way the businesses would report. The obvious answer was always the fact that someone in the business knew a lot about the subject and could act as the Subject Matter Expert to fix the issue halfway through and present the results but this never really tackled the underlying root cause. So my passion is to get things right the first time and to put in measures that properly resolve and eradicate root cause, began there.

What were your initial thoughts when you first fully understood what you had gotten into?

Well, initially, I thought it was quite easy to resolve and when dealing with smaller companies it is indeed quite easy. However, working in the data governance space and getting it right requires change in attitude and behaviour as well as keeping your eye on the big buzz of return on investment. Combining these three things and still being able to maintain professional working relationships could prove to be a challenge and that is when I realized that it was not such an easy space to be in. I knew right then that I required excellent communication skills and stakeholder engagement and management skills.

Are there any particular resources that you found useful support when you were starting out?

Absolutely! Resources were both the people and the tools. Working with people that understood the data at the frontline and also with IT resources that did not just dwell on the infrastructure but also the data that was held in the infrastructure, made all the difference. These people became the data champions that I would use whenever I needed to impress upon their teams on the importance of good data practices. In addition, the IT experts used open source tools to implement data cleansing capabilities as well as providing outputs that did not meet the business rules. Bringing together the human resource and technology allowed the right results to be achieved but I also used these results and exceptions to address the processes that either needed review or to implement new ones where they did not exist.

What is the biggest Data Governance challenge you have faced so far?

As I mentioned earlier, getting data governance right requires a change in attitude and behavior towards data. This change is not specific to just an individual or a team but is an organizational change and being an expert in this field, the natural instinct is to lead on those changes. However, if the culture in place is ingrained in the people, the deliverables in the organization then become the “elephant in the room” that need to be tackled but it is not an easy one to deal with. The challenge is to get buy in from the organization both top-down and bottom-up. It requires pegging the concerns identified to the wider organizations KPIs which will be music to the ears at the top but also to elaborate what it means to fail on KPIs from the bottom-up. This also presents a further challenge to the data governance team and that is; understanding the business enough to articulate those specific improvements to both those at the top and those at the frontline. It therefore, goes to show that data governance teams require a combination of business savvy skills as well as a good understanding of Information Systems along with good communication, negotiation and liaison skills that bridge between technology, people and process, which is not always a readily available combination in the market.

What have you implemented or solved so far that you are particularly proud of?

One thing I have been really proud of and continue to be proud of since I first started this journey in data governance is the processes that I have put in place. At every organization I have worked for, I have implemented a process that did not exist and one that continues to be used long after I have left. I do not profess to have perfect processes and neither do I believe there is such a thing. In fact, I expect that long after I have left, my processes should undergo reviews that improve them or even discard them in tandem with the ever changing demands and technologies. In addition, the processes I have implemented always consider the people and the technology with clear accountabilities. My pride comes not by implementing the process alone but ensuring that the accountabilities are relevant and agreed. The accountabilities are activity focused and not individual focused. Now you might ask what does that mean, and in simple terms it means that putting someone accountable to something and having no actions attached to that accountability means nothing. However, putting actions in place that require to be addressed and then assigning those to an individual or team means that something will be done about it. Many are the times where I have seen accountabilities distributed on a position and individual basis but when you look at what the person actually does to ensure that there are some actions taken to deliver as part of a process you find nothing and this is what organizations call “process breakdown” because the actions have not been attached to a person realistically.

What single piece of advice would you give someone just starting out in Data Governance?

One single piece of advice is lead as an expert and believe in yourself. The old adage of “this is how we have always done things” results in someone who is starting up to carry on with the same old ways of working. If one is starting up and they want to lead in the end then they need to follow the simple ABC of governance which I use and it is – Accept nothing, Believe no one and Check everything. Whether one does these on their own or within a team it is important to be vigilant and challenge the status quo because underneath the surface lies a lot of theoretical approaches that have little practicality in supporting the current business status.

Finally, what do you wish you had known or done differently when you were just starting out in Data Governance?

I have no regrets about anything and I believe that the time I ventured into data governance was my time and I still consider myself quite young so I have a long way to go. However, If I had known that there was such a deep rooted data governance issue in many industries, I would have invested more time much earlier. I don't believe that I am any worse right now but I would be a more seasoned data governance guru. I am also a mentor at the University of Westminster and whenever I get an IT student, I inform them much earlier in their career that Data Governance is a field they need to start investing in much earlier so that they can hone their people and business skills as well as their technical skills and after a number of years they will have the skills I mentioned earlier which are suitable for the data governance expert.

Having read my interview with Josiah you can also read my free report which reveals why companies struggle to successfully implement data governance.  

Discover how to quickly get you data governance initiative on track by downloading this free report

Data Governance Interview - Lee Edwards

Lee had several years in business operational experience before discovering a talent for data design and modelling in 1997.  As Lead Data Architect for the European Enterprise Data Warehouse she successfully incorporated data from several disparate business types across more than 20 different countries into an integrated data model, supporting the business in fulfilling both Management and Regulatory Reporting requirements

Lee also spent 10 years articulating the need for a cross business data management program, campaigning to gain support and ultimately executive approval for the initiative within the European organisation.

Passionate about Data Management, Lee works to progress the industry through serving as Chair of DAMA UK and VP Marketing and Communication for DAMA International, regularly speaking at local and international conferences and acting as a mentor for chapter members.

How long have you been working in Data Governance?

Thinking back, this was when I first started producing management reports on Lotus123 as a clerk umpteen years ago. I was building new functionality to replace paper based reports and the first thing I did was question fluffy or inconsistent definitions with “tell me exactly what this means and how you use it” – of course I didn’t realise then that I was doing DG.

How did you start working in Data Governance?

As a Database Designer and Dataflow Architect I led the analysis for mapping disparate systems from multiple locations to my nice clean conformed streamlined data model. This required much iteration of “how do you know” and “where is the information” and ultimately generated the evidence to justify the requirement for proper DG control.

What were your initial thoughts when you first fully understood what you had gotten into?

I’m not sure that I know that even now! It’s a constant challenge but rewarding when you can make a difference and prove out that your input benefits the enterprise.

Are there any particular resources that you found useful support when you were starting out?

Probably predictably but I have to say my DAMA colleagues providing both sound advice, education opportunities and personal validation that I was on the right path and gaining control of enterprise data is the right thing to do.

What is the biggest Data Governance challenge you have faced so far?

The increase of globalisation and having to start yet again persuading a whole new set of people that it is required and the right thing to do. I’ve observed it’s a human thing to want to make it yours and the Not Invented Here syndrome is very real and can be draining. There is a constant need to keep the evidence of wins (costs and time saved, risks avoided etc.) fresh and at your fingertips as new people come along.

What have you implemented or solved so far that you are particularly proud of?

Launching data for essential daily Regulatory Reporting in 7 months from a standing start. This was achieved by having thorough control and understanding of the data sources used and harmonised in a monthly BI system and reusing rather than starting again. Sounds like the obvious thing to do but it continues to astonish me how little enterprises seem to do this – start again still appears to be the default. 

What single piece of advice would you give someone just starting out in Data Governance?

Work on your communication skills, have an elevator pitch ready, learn about different types of people and how to adapt to get your message across. Oh and join DAMA if I’m allowed to say that! I have found the learning opportunities invaluable.

Finally, what do you wish you had known or done differently when you were just starting out in Data Governance?

That it was DG that I was doing. When I started it didn’t really have a name, if I’d known about the job brand it may have been easier to communicate and perpetuate – but who knows!

Having read my interview with Lee you can also read my free report which reveals why companies struggle to successfully implement data governance.  

Discover how to quickly get you data governance initiative on track by downloading this free report

Data Governance Interview – Jim Barker

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Jim Barker is a professional in the IT space that has had varied roles starting out as a mainframe programmer, leading data initiatives at Honeywell, and moved on to a product management leadership position for Winshuttle with a focus on data improvement in early 2015. Jim wore out many pairs of shoes as a front-end screen developer prior to PC’s and the Web, grew up with ETL, BI, and Statistical tools, and led many SAP deployment projects, and introduced and evangelized data governance and ‘data as an asset’ at Honeywell. Key highlights of his career include architecting the data warehouse solution at Thomson Legal and Regulatory including a very early start in Big Data in 2001 and Data Governance in 2003, developed the Velocity Data Migration Methodology at Informatica in 2005, and leading data for SAP Site Deployments with Honeywell at over 600 sites in 45 countries..

How long have you been working in Data Governance?

I have been working in and around data governance and data quality since 1994 as part of data warehousing, data integration, and data migration initiatives.

How did you start working in Data Governance?

I was first introduced to data quality at a health insurance firm in 1994 when I used Code1 (Method 1) on the mainframe to correct subscriber and clinic data. This included building improved interfaces with CICS to prevent bad data from being set up in claims systems.

What where your initial thoughts when you first fully understood what you had got into?

I was younger then, and my first thoughts were why is this so difficult? Why can’t folks just set up data right in the first place...that has changed over time but those were my first thoughts. When I first had leadership responsibilities it became more practical, how can we come up with solutions, techniques, and tools to help correct problem data and also stop it in the future.

Are there any particular resources that you found useful support when you were starting out?

The first real governance solutions I worked with were at Thomson, we leveraged a lot of business objects capability along with First Logic data quality tools...but since no-one was really writing about data quality or data governance at that point, the foundational project management techniques provided by the project management institute (PMI) were what our team used to build out our governance capabilities...

Later, I found some of the information being published by former data warehousing gurus to be helpful, people like Larry English.

As well as working in Data Governance, you’ve also been pursuing a PHD in the discipline. How have you found that?

It is interesting to see how much academics dislike the communication style of consulting and IT leaders. I found that I had to spend much more time writing any coursework to meet style expectations.

The most valuable and enjoyable part of the activity was learning different ways of collecting information through varied qualitative study methods, and using those to talk with other professionals in the realm of data governance.

What do you hope to do with the results of your PhD dissertation?

Once I complete my defense I would like to use my findings in a couple of ways, publish some summary articles, and would like to expand to write a book on lean data management.

What is the biggest Data Governance challenge you have faced so far?

I think the biggest challenge is how to meet the divergent challenges of new product introduction timescales with the need to have data set up correctly. Folks working in business functions (not data stewards) can get very focused on cycle time reduction and sometimes lose the ability to see the forest thru the trees; they are so worried about getting a product set-up they don’t want to take the time to get the data right and are willing to pay the price in the long-run. This is common across CPG, Manufacturing, Finance, Information, and Defense organizations...with finance firms most interested in getting it right in the first place.

What have you implemented or solved so far that you are particularly proud of?

Two things come to mind. We built a global team at Honeywell that built out a set of data quality scorecards that helped to expedite the data migration process so with a relatively small team we were doing 10 or more SAP deployments at once and putting focus on time but also on getting the data right. This is something that we received an innovation award from Informatica on for efficiency in M&A.

Second, is building out the data migration methodology at Informatica that many software firms are now using as the standard for what I would call agile+ (the plus being data governance).

What single piece of advice would you give someone just starting out in Data Governance?

Keep your eyes open. Don’t go blindly into a tools-only solution, every time you read something or hear something from an expert...figure out what it means in your organization and customize a solution that uses perspectives from many different sources of information...i.e. avoid groupthink.

Finally, what do you wish you had known or done differently when you were just starting out in Data Governance?

I think I would have put more emphasis on process mapping and focus more on policies and procedures. It is much easier to deal with tools, it is more difficult to understand the process and correct it with the aid of tools to make a difference.

I also wish I would have really understood that you can’t do it alone, you need to have a collection of folks working in concert. People are a huge part of data governance efforts and you need to find ways to get folks in all parts of the organization to embrace the importance of having the data right and go down the data governance path with you.

Having read my interview with Jim you can also read my free report which reveals why companies struggle to successfully implement data governance.  

Discover how to quickly get you data governance initiative on track by downloading this free report

Data Governance Interview - Thijs van der Feltz

Thijs van der Feltz, MBA, is an enterprise data management specialist and information architect and has been devoted to data management for over 30 years. He has hands-on experience in numerous facets of this field. With a long history in financial services, he is currently in the middle of implementing data governance at an insurance company in the Netherlands. He is one of the founding members of the recently established DAMA-Netherlands chapter.

How long have you been working in Data Governance?

If we define it loosely, I started doing Data Governance about 30 years ago, long before that name emerged. It was called data administration then and was taken very seriously at the company I worked for. Things were different at that time, of course. With the mainframe being king of the jungle, there was already some serious governance going on, except that IT was in charge instead of the business. Over the years the business gained more control of IT, and rightly so, but governance has lagged behind. The king is practically gone and what we have left is a rapidly expanding jungle of disparate data that is cultivated by innovation and savvy users. Hence the need for data governance is now greater than ever.

How did you start working in Data Governance?

In the 1980s I worked for a consultancy firm that specialised in information strategy, databases and data modelling. After 5 years, I joined a merchant bank to set up their data administration. In time, this field of work evolved into data governance, data architecture/modelling and metadata management, which I have all embraced during my career. In fact, in a recent article Robert Seiner suggests that data modelling is data governance; not literally of course, but in terms of discipline, rigor and effect, the analogy is a good one.

What were your initial thoughts when you first fully understood what you had got into?

When this ‘new’ field called data governance emerged, it did not come as a surprise to me because I had already been doing data governance stuff for years. It added some missing parts to data management as we knew it, and it had a nice ring to it that appealed to business people.

Data management and data governance are intrinsically connected, but are also distinctly different. One can argue that we have a chicken-and-egg discussion as to ‘who is on top’ but ultimately, data management is the task that needs to be done. Data governance is needed to make sure that this is properly embedded in terms of roles and responsibilities. Semantically, the term data governance is sort of a misnomer, because we cannot govern data (the inanimate ‘thing’) itself. But hey, what’s in a name; if it works, don’t fix it. What can and must be governed, however, is the behaviour of people, and data management processes. That’s what data governance is about.

Are there any particular resources that you found useful support when you were starting out?

There were very few resources back then, but I found several books that were particularly influential and supportive to my efforts: “Data administration” (William Durell, 1985), “Fourth Generation Data” (Dan Tasker, 1989) and “Case*Method – Entity Relationship Modelling” (Richard Barker, 1990).

At that time, I was consultant with a company that was a pioneer in data centric solutions, with data management as a core competence. I had the good fortune of having access to a wealth of expertise provided by all my colleagues.

What characteristics do you have that make you successful at Data Governance and why?

Data governance is a complex field, so my multi-disciplinary educational background (engineering, economics, MBA), which spans the business-IT gap, has given me an advantage in comprehending the big picture.

What also helps is that I’m passionate about data and relentless in seeking answers and finding ways to convince people of the importance of data governance. I have experienced first hand the advantages of mature data management and understand the root causes of data quality issues. I am very critical about superficial approaches to fixing data quality, which is not always appreciated by some of the people I work with. Diplomatic skills should not be underestimated when trying to achieve data governance success.

What is the biggest Data Governance challenge you have faced so far?

One challenge is the knowledge gap between the business and IT. While the business clearly wants high quality information and more and more uses for it, they generally don’t want to be bothered with the details of achieving data quality. They just want to plug their (information) appliance into an outlet in the wall, but don’t care what’s behind that wall. This leads to another challenge: obtaining management buy-in.

In the other corner is an IT organisation that is primarily focussed on technology and not so much on informational aspects such as semantics, purpose, and taxonomy. The result of this polarisation is often poorly defined business and data requirements. This is a root cause of cost overruns and mutual frustration between business and IT. Data governance plays an important role in bridging this gap, by ensuring that the business takes control and responsibility of its own data. Data governance sets the rules and policies, while IT is responsible for the data management execution that correctly implements them in a way that is transparent and verifiable by the business.

Data belongs to everyone, but nobody wants to own it. Business engagement, responsibility and accountability are key, but that is much easier said than done. Strong leadership and executive sponsorship are prerequisites but actually getting an organisation to embrace a ‘data as an asset’ culture is the ultimate challenge and very hard work.

What have you implemented or solved so far that you are particularly proud of?

Having designed and built a custom built enterprise metadata repository system for data modelling at the previously mentioned merchant bank has given me great satisfaction and pride. While there are many good tools on the market, none offered a complete solution that we were looking for, so rather than trying to synchronise multiple overlapping tools, we decided to build an integrated solution ourselves. It was used from 1990 to 2010 to serve the needs of hundreds of application developers and database designers and it was our metadata integration hub. We incrementally developed an enterprise data model (ca. 4000 entities) that was mapped to our relational databases across some 250 systems. The data modelling process was incorporated in the application development life cycle, and certified data models helped to create accurate business requirements. The system provided us with considerable control of our (master) data, as well as reliable impact analysis that enabled exceptional agility. Eventually this system faded into obscurity, after a takeover that resulted in our systems succumbing to the new organisation. Nonetheless, it has been very inspirational to have worked in such a mature data management environment, with highly capable team members and supportive management. It has opened my eyes to the potential of data management done right.

I am also proud of my recent progress in establishing and promoting a corporate business glossary. A seemingly simple list of words and definitions can be an endless source of discussion, so it’s important to be firm at times and to keep moving. Two factors have proven to be successful: (1) a comprehensive set of guidelines & standards to improve the quality and overall consistency and (2) embedding the glossary in existing policies and procedures, to encourage its use, to enforce consistent use of terminology, and to leverage reusability by averting the need to redefine terms in multiple documents.

What single piece of advice would you give someone just starting out in Data Governance?

Get involved in teams of like-minded and experienced people and start doing it. There is no shortage of good books and blogs in the internet to help learn the trade, but compare sources to separate truth from fantasy and hypes. Some of my favourite sources of knowledge are the TDAN, B-Eye-Network and DataVersity. Also, the recent Data Governance books by John Ladley and Robert Seiner are very good. To get a broader overview, become familiar with some general management and quality assurance books such as those by W. Edwards Deming, Peter Drucker and Danette McGilvray.

Data governance is business responsibility, but it is important to realise that the success of data governance strongly depends on the maturity of the data management function. To this effect and in the spirit of the old adage “you can’t manage what you can’t measure (or define)” I would to add “you can’t govern what you can’t manage”. One should therefore understand the essentials of data management and business-IT interaction. Data governance is a multi-disciplinary function and requires a certain level of seniority to get things done, so prior experience in different data-related fields is highly recommended before seriously getting involved in data governance.

The rewards of data governance success are considerable, but passion, patience and perseverance are indispensable while pursuing this goal.

Finally, what do you wish you had known or done differently when you were just starting out in Data Governance?

For a long time, I believed that it was sufficient to enforce a solid data management discipline using advanced tooling for data modelling and metadata management. This idea was further reinforced by, as mentioned earlier, positive experiences with a mature data management environment. In recent years, it has become very obvious to me that the biggest challenge is people, culture and change. No surprise here, just confirming the findings of Nicola’s previous interviews. While I have no regrets about my career path, I do wish I had become aware of this earlier, to have gained more experience in tackling the ‘sociological’ aspects of data governance.

I wondered if you could share a memorable data governance experience?

During my years at the bank, we were involved in several successive mergers and acquisitions. Part of the process was systems integration. During these sessions, our new colleagues were surprised that we had only a single customer database, while to us, this seemed like such an obvious design choice.  To make a long story short, our IT system was chosen several times to be the leading environment for the new organisation. In time, I also witnessed that such decisions are more often politically motivated, with data being of lesser concern.  Could this be a reason why the anticipated benefits of mergers often fall short of expectations?

What are your final thoughts?

I would like to thank you, Nicola, for giving me the opportunity to share my views and join the ranks of data governance experts that you have interviewed over the years. Their views and public contributions have been a valuable source of knowledge and inspiration for me in my daily work.

Having read my interview with Thijs you can also read my free report which reveals why companies struggle to successfully implement data governance.  

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