Data Governance & Privacy

Informatica wants our customers to be successful along their digital transformation journeys. We recognize this journey is complex and risky, but with the right approach and collaborative support, it will be very rewarding! Our most significant solutions in support of this journey include Cloud/Hybrid transformation, Next Gen Analytics, 360 Engagement and Data Governance and Compliance. We think of these as separate initiatives, but also part of a comprehensive Data Strategy that charts a course based on business purpose whereby clients can transform aging, poorly integrated IT environments into a nimble and responsive engine to drive data value that contributes to business success. Companies that build their data-driven capabilities are truly the most powerful and successful in today’s global marketplace.

Of the distinct journeys on the path toward digital transformation, Data Governance and Compliance (DG&C) is the link that ties them all together. DG&C involves best practices in developing the value of data assets such as data stewardship, decision-making to develop policies and standards, monitoring data quality and incremental improvements in business value. Likewise, it includes developing ways to protect sensitive data, shield data from inappropriate access and comply with regulations designed to ensure responsible use of data.

There are requirements in each of the other three journeys that absolutely need information and guidance based on each organization’s data governance accomplishments. In addition, DG&C is a key component of any organization’s Enterprise Data Strategy. Just as it links the four digital transformation journeys together, the governance decisions will drive the design, scale and direction of your Enterprise Data Strategy.

Taken alone, DG&C prepares the enterprise to set controls and guide end-users on how to gain maximum value from the data available.

Enterprise Data Governance establishes a holistic program design to drive decision-making, policy development and articulation of standards that drive how data is managed. It aligns business priorities and strategic initiatives with underlying development of capabilities and best practices. It ensures that business and IT areas communicate through stewardship and measurement. Most importantly, it ensures that investments in technology and data management best practices can be tied to real contributions to business value.

Compliance is an increasingly important and expensive area that enterprises need to manage. DG&C ensures that there is understanding of the regulatory and other business mandates that need to be addressed. It reduces the liability associated with managing data that is required for business reasons, but that may introduce risk if mishandled or left unprotected. New regulations in just about every industry mean that full visibility and assessment of the data being collected is a requirement to manage the potential costs of that risk.

Data Privacy is emerging rapidly as another liability to manage through DG&C. Global privacy regulations such as GDPR as well as U.S. consumer protection laws including CCPA are challenging organizations to thoroughly assess data protection capabilities. Additional U.S. states have developed regulations imposing new restrictions and penalties for companies that experience data breaches or inadvertent release of sensitive information. DG&C will support development of risk mitigation processes and technologies to rapidly identify, audit and control release of private and sensitive data.

Data Quality is the holy grail of analysts, data scientists and business executives. Significant costs to operations and bad decisions are associated with poor data quality. DG&C activities will address the reasons for poor data quality. Visibility into data lineage, interfaces and transformations can significantly improve data quality. Getting data out of silos so that is can be curated by authorized Data Stewards and Business Owners will ensure that it is fit for purpose and that it can be shared in other areas of the organization.

DG&C Supports Each Digital Transformation Journey

Cloud/Hybrid

As you start to move data to a cloud environment, many decisions will need to be made. Which applications and how much data? What types of data? All data or only curated data? How will we manage data across cloud, hybrid and on-premises environments? How will we integrate cloud applications?

These are the types of decisions that rely on having data governance mechanisms and people in place to evaluate the benefits of certain options. New business rules will need to be developed. New data policies and standards will need to be established. Potentially new privacy and compliance rules will need to be reviewed.

Moving data to a cloud/hybrid environment doesn’t obviate the need for governance—as a matter of fact, it increases the need for oversight and stewardship so that end-users can navigate with flexibility and confidence in the data available.

360 Engagement

Holistic understanding and visibility into individual behaviors is increasingly important as enterprises mature their digital capabilities. From Customers to Suppliers to Providers to Products, the ability to build a complete and accurate profile and update it with increasingly relevant information is a key competitive advantage. It enriches the quality of the contacts you collect and increases your ability to target messages, products or services that are of business value.

To do this successfully, enterprises need to build the decision rules that determine what data is used to build these profiles. Data stewards and business stakeholders need to work collaboratively to understand the quality and relevance of data used in building profiles, and then evaluate the quality of that data on an ongoing basis. These activities are fundamental data governance activities.

As data elements are identified for use in building holistic 360 engagement profiles, it is increasingly critical to manage privacy and compliance issues. Governance policies and data management best practices will serve to expose and control potential risk.

Next Gen Analytics

As organizations drive towards developing self-service analytics capabilities, there can be no more important area for data governance and compliance. Demands from business users within and outside organizations requires clear accountability for ensuring that data is high quality and that there is transparency into data lineage, definitions and usage rules.

Data protection is of utmost sensitivity as more and different users gain access to analytics environments. Careful deliberation on the part of governance organizations will establish the appropriate role definitions, sensitivity ratings, access permissions, security rules, de-identification conditions and compliance policies before end-users are granted access.

With greater accessibility comes greater accountability. The exciting fact that we have tools to support data warehouse modernization, development of data lakes and streaming analytics with richer sources of data can only be balanced with appropriate safeguards and ongoing monitoring of usage activity to ensure that enterprise assets are creating maximum value.

The Digital Transformation Continuum

The journey towards enterprise digital transformation is truly exciting. There have never been more tools with stronger capabilities. AI is fueling even greater discovery and learning capabilities so that automation and delivery of trusted data can be readily delivered to decision-makers and end-users of many types. But none of these journeys will be successful without well-designed DG&C.

Data governance determines the ground rules for collecting, enhancing, standardizing, sharing and protecting your digital assets. It is here that your organization will develop specific details for protection of data and compliance with privacy and security regulations. As organizations’ data management and analytical capabilities advance along the digital transformation continuum, DG&C provides the checks and balances to reduce risks associated with inappropriate use or release of data.

The opportunity to derive value from digital assets has never been higher but the risks have never been greater. Ensure that your digital transformation is successful with a carefully balanced approach and with a clearly planned data strategy including data governance, protection, compliance and security.