Three years ago, my organization acquired Alation Data Catalog, which has been instrumental in resolving disparities in siloed data. Key datasets migrated to AWS Redshift can be accessed in Alation. Alation enables users to access and view data, ensuring they work with the most accurate version, which in turn is utilized to create Tableau reports linked to Alation. Additionally, we've integrated a new data quality tool, Anomalo, with Alation, further enhancing our data quality capabilities. Notably, Data Stewards receive data discrepancy alerts via email or Teams messages, even without direct access to Alation, highlighting the product's versatility.
We created a custom implementation plan so it could fit the organization that we were in. The data governance at my company was dealt with from end to beginning. But what do I mean with from end to beginning? We would track down the project performance at the end and break it down into policies, procedures and data management. Policies and procedures would streamline how things should be done. Data management would create the skeleton of how information is captured, how to use it, and how to distribute it. So it supports policies and procedures. It took about nine months for us to start collecting the fruits of the implementation, and we expect to deal with it as an ongoing process since we need to adapt to the company's growth. It never stops !! There are four main benefits that we are being impacted the most: 1- Enhanced Compliance: With the proper system and training in place, we were able to level up our game regarding regulations and requirements for our projects, simultaneously mitigating the amount of staff hours invested in it. 2- Streamlined Processes: Establishing clear guidelines and SOPs for managing data throughout each project's lifecycle. The SOPs relate to data collection, storage, analysis, and usage, increasing our projects' accuracy, efficiency, and productivity. 3- Improved Decision Making: One of our biggest goals has always been eliminating bottlenecks in the company. By properly using data, we are being able to empower multiple stakeholders to make better-informed decisions. 4- Cost Savings: Once the organization with proper data governance is fed with good-quality data, delays, rework, and wasted results tend to decrease. On the other hand, the accuracy of estimates, resource utilization, and project-scheduled deliveries tend to will increase.
In our tech firm, data governance is not just an afterthought but the spine of our operation. We use stringent protocols for every step involving data, right from acquisition to utilization. A great example of this was in our sales department. We encountered significant issues due to inconsistent pricing data across systems. By reinforcing our data governance strategies, we brought coherence to our pricing data, which led to the generation of more accurate sales reports. The ripple effect was remarkable - we improved our sales strategy, which subsequently boosted our revenue. That's the power of effective data governance.”