Overcoming Roadblocks In Creating Your Data Governance Strategy
Data governance and keeping your data secure is a hot topic. Everyone can agree that it’s important and should be kept top of mind – but no one talks about the roadblocks in getting started with or carrying out your data governance strategy.
Data governance strategies are still a relatively new concept and are immature and there’s no one-size-fits-all strategy for organizations. You’re bound to have some setbacks during your strategy creation and planning. We’ve compiled a list of some of the most common roadblocks we’ve seen in helping our clients bring their governance strategies to fruition and have advice on how to overcome them.
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MINIMAL TO NO EXECUTIVE SPONSORSHIP
When starting your data governance strategy, including top business executives and stakeholders is key. If they aren’t bought into the initiative, it will never take off. Keep their knowledge high level for support, but directors and individual contributors should be the ones actually carrying out the processes.
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IT-DRIVEN EFFORTS WITH LIMITED TO NO BUSINESS PARTICIPATION
Data governance strategies should not just be an IT department initiative! They need cross-department collaboration and executive sponsorship to be successful. Executive buy-in is especially important here. You won’t have cross-departmental participation without executive buy-in from other departments outside of IT.
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GENERAL LACK OF UNDERSTANDING
What even is data governance? Why should your organization care about it? Having an employee adoption plan, when you get to that part in your strategy, is important. Its purpose is to educate people on why they should care, how it will affect their role and job duties, and ultimately keep your company safe.
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COST
Data governance strategies can be expensive – especially if you use an external consulting agency to outsource this work. Cost alone can be enough for an organization to dismiss the idea of putting together a governance strategy altogether.
However, the cost of doing nothing is a higher cost than the cost of implementing a data governance strategy. Having a strategy in place can save you thousands of dollars in the long run.
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DE-PRIORITIZATION WHEN A MORE COMPELLING OR URGENT INITIATIVE COMES ALONG
We get it. Sometimes things happen unexpectedly. Maybe you lost a big deal that could have easily covered the cost of your data governance strategy. Maybe your best sales rep just quit. It’s so easy to shove daunting or difficult tasks aside when something more urgent comes up. The best policy is to create data governance as a preventative measure. It’s better to be proactive rather than reactive. Have someone in your organization who holds you accountable for successfully carrying out the goals you’ve set for yourself.
If your entire organization is on board and priorities are pre-set, it’s likely you’ll have a smoother process when designing and rolling out your data governance strategy. By fostering collaboration and adjusting expectations upfront, you can assure your team will be aligned well when it’s time to carry out these processes as planned.
Need help creating your data governance strategy? Reach out to a consultant for a free consultation.