Harry Beck invented the modern Tube map to provide simple, clear directions for railway commuters.

Similarly, data governance should provide simple, clear directions for the use of your organisation’s data.

Harry Beck’s maps removed many of the technical complexities embedded in earlier maps.

His revelation? Accurate positioning of lines and stations is not necessary for passengers traveling underground. This understanding lead to a simplified design showing just stations and lines that has been adopted around the world.

Harry’s subway maps are strikingly similar to well constructed data governance assets.

Like the Tube map, a data governance centre must present assets in a clear, non technical fashion. Tweet this

Data governance assets (such as data usage Policies, the Business Semantics Glossary, and data quality rules) are historically not documented, or are hidden in technical platforms. The lack of visibility means that they add no real value, as they are routinely ignored.

To add real value, data governance has to become a business as usual function. Tweet this

Business users do not need to understand all the technical details related to the data in their care. They understand how this data serves their business purpose

Business data stewards should define and approve the data policies that impact their colleagues. Data governance assets, such as the business glossary should be visible to all users of data to ensure clarity of purpose. Collaboration is critical to ensure that shared data are fit for purpose for each use.

The data governance initiative should link business KPI’s to their compliance to shared data usage policies, standards and levels of data quality.

The Tube map was designed and maintained by a single individual.

In most organisations, data governance teams are small, or comprised of part time staff.

The effort required to ensure agreement on the use of data, and to document and share this agreement, is significant.

Without a collaboration tool, data stewards spend hours in unproductive meetings trying to reach agreement on policies and terms. Stewards may become embroiled in debates that do not affect them, or may lose interest and cease engagement.

Automation, in the form of a business friendly data governance centre, can be the difference between the success and failure of your data governance initiative.

The Data Governance Centre allows stewards to document what is important to them without getting tied up in irrelevant debates. Stewards can document their feedback, or provide their approval, on changes that affect them. Between them, they create a living document governing the effective use of data across the enterprise.

Finally, the data governance center must support the identification and resolution of data issues. Stewards must measure the compliance of data to agreed standards and be able to take action to resolve anomalies.

The final result is effective data governance.

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This post was first published as a guest post on Nicola Askham’s data governance blog