Data Catalogs Are the Answer – What is the Question?

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Copyright © 2023 Robert S. Seiner – KIK Consulting & Educational Services / TDAN.com
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Real-World Data Governance
Data Catalogs Are the Answer – What is the Question?
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Robert S. Seiner – KIK Consulting / TDAN.com
February 16, 2023 – 11:00 a.m. PT / 2:00 p.m. ET

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Introduction
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• In this webinar, I will talk about …
– Selecting the Appropriate Metadata to Govern
– The Business and Technical Value of a Data Catalog
– Building the Catalog into People’s Routines
– Positioning the Data Catalog for Success
– Questions the Data Catalog can Answer
Abstract

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Definitions
• Data Governance – The execution and enforcement of authority over data.
• Data Stewardship – Formal accountability for data.
• Data Steward – A person held formally accountable for their relationship to the data.
• Metadata – Data that improves both the business and technical understanding of the data.

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There are so many.
Where can I find the data?
What will be the impact of this change?
How was the value calculated?
How can I transport the data?
What are the rules around this data?
Who should I ask if I have a question?
When was the data last updated?
How do I get access to the data?
How many different places do we have this data?
Where did the data come from?
Why are the same results different?
How has the data changed?

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There are so many.
Where can I find the data?
What will be the impact of this change?
How was the value calculated?
How can I transport the data?
What are the rules around this data?
Who should I ask if I have a question?
When was the data last updated?
How do I get access to the data?
How many different places do we have this data?
Where did the data come from?
Why are the same results different?
What answers do YOU need
from your data catalog?
How has the data changed?

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• Different Types of Data
• Different Types of Metadata
• Prioritizing Metadata to Manage
• What it Means to Govern Data / Metadata
• Places to Govern Your Data / Metadata
Selecting the Appropriate Metadata to Govern

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• Different Types of Data
– Structured Data
– Unstructured Data
• Text
• Documents
• Records
• Content
• Knowledge
– Internal / External Data
– Real-Time Data
– Purchased
– Data You Have Influence Over
– Data You Don’t Have Influence Over
– The metadata about these different types of data
may be somewhat different.

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• Different Types of Metadata
– Data About Data Definition
– Data About Data Production
– Data About Data Usage
– Data About the Data About the Data
– Who will use the metadata? How do you know?
– What are you going to do about it?

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• Prioritizing Metadata to Manage
– What metadata do we have?
– Where is it located?
– Is it up to date?
– Who is responsible for it?
– How will people access it?
– What business value will the metadata have?
– Who will use it?
– When will it be most beneficial?
– What will it take to make it available?
– How will we measure its use?
– Where is there an immediate need?
– What will bring the most bang for your bucks?
– What is the low hanging fruit?

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• What it Means to Govern Data / Metadata
– Execute and Enforce Authority over the Definition, Production, and Use of Data / Metadata
– Formalized Accountability for the Definition of Data / Metadata
– Formalized Accountability for the Production of Data / Metadata
– Formalized Accountability for the Usage of Data / Metadata
– Recorded Accountability is the 1st Step Toward Formalized Accountability
– Operationalized Accountability is the 2nd Step – And the most complex

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• Places to Govern Your Data / Metadata
– In Its Native Source – The Natives are Restless
– In Spreadsheets, Documents, Desktop Databases – And Folders, Folders, Folders
– Automated Ingestion – Change Management at its Finest
– In a Data Catalog – Reference Guide for All Things Data
– At the Point of Distribution – Where Metadata Lives

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• Catalog Functionality
• Aligning Functionality and Value
• Value to the Business Audience
• Value to the Technical Audience
• Value to the Governance Audience
The Business and Technical Value of a Data Catalog

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• Catalog Functionality*
Business Metadata
Technical Metadata
Operational Metadata
Stewardship
Data Discovery
Inventory
Data Curation
Connectors
AI & ML
Glossary & Dictionary
Search & Discoverability
Lineage &ETL
* Summarized and updated from https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/definition/data-catalog
Analytics & Decisioning
Efficiency & Effectiveness
Quality Improvements
Confidence Improvements
Regulatory Compliance
Storage Function
Governance Function
Tool Function
Business Use Function

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• Aligning Functionality and Value
– Storage Function – Physical storage of metadata.
– Governance Function – Formal accountability and behavior for metadata.
– Tool Function – Ingestion and rationalization of metadata.
– Business Use Function – Value derived from use of metadata.

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• Value to the Business Audience
– Analytics & Decisioning
– Efficiency & Effectiveness
– Quality Improvements
– Confidence Improvements
– Regulatory Compliance
Analytics & Decisioning
Efficiency & Effectiveness
Quality Improvements
Confidence Improvements
Regulatory Compliance
Business Use Function

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• Value to the Technical Audience
– Inventory of
• Business, Technical, Operational Metadata
– Connectors
– Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning
– Search & Discoverability
– Lineage & ETL
Business Metadata
Technical Metadata
Operational Metadata
Connectors
AI & ML
Glossary & Dictionary
Search & Discoverability
Lineage & ETL
Storage Function
Tool Function

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Stewardship
Data Discovery
Inventory
Data Curation
Governance Function
• Value to the Governance Audience
– Formalize Stewardship
– Enable Data Discovery
– Enable Self-Service BI and Analytics
– Conduct Asset Inventory
– Provide Data Curation and Quality Improvement Service

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• Meet the Data …
– Where It Lives
– Who It Lives With
– When It Lives
– How It Lives
– Why It Lives
Building the Catalog into People’s Routines

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– Where It Lives
• Where people are defining data – glossary, dictionary, modeling, developing systems, …
• Where people are producing data – entry, new data, acquiring data, …
• Where people are using data – analytics, reporting, decision making, …

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– Who It Lives With
• Stakeholders – decision makers, analysts,
operations, …
• Stewards – people held accountable for
defining, producing, and using data, …
• Analysts – people paid to draw conclusions
and make decisions, …
• Regulatory Stewards – people responsible
for reporting and compliance, …

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– When It Lives
• Definition – when consistency, trust, and quality definition matters
• Production – when quality data production quality matters
• Use – when people need to know the rules around the data

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– How It Lives
• Daily Operations
• Reporting and Analytics
• Sharing and Protection
• Collection and Monitoring

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– Why It Lives
• Daily Operations
• Reporting and Analytics
• Sharing and Protection
• Collection and Monitoring

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• Define Success
• Reward Contribution and Usage
• Reward Innovation
• Promote Success
Positioning the Data Catalog for Success

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• Define Success
– For metadata management
• Metadata collected in a data catalog
• Metadata high in levels of quality and trust
• Metadata available to those that need it
– For data governance
• Increase data intelligence
• Increase data literacy

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• Reward Contribution and Usage
– Recognize metadata definers, producer, and users.
– Engage these people as metadata stewards.
– Reward participation for improving the confidence in their data.
– Reward participation in data catalog activities and value.
– Reward stewards for data catalog usage – potentially gamifying the use of the catalog.

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• Reward Innovation
– Introduce and Promote Innovative Methods for
• Data and Metadata Definition
• Data and Metadata Production
• Data and Metadata Usage

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• Promote Success
– Through whatever means is necessary.
– Through whatever means is available.
– Through the face of your data governance program.
– Through the catalog itself.
– Through demonstrated success. And word of mouth.
– And by providing answers to data questions!

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• Data Governance Framework Components
– Data Questions
– Role Questions
– Process Questions
– Communications Questions
– Metrics Questions
– Tool Questions?
Questions the Data Catalog can Answer

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– Data Questions – from the perspective of the:
• Executive Level
• Strategic Level
• Tactical Level
• Operational Level
• Support Level

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– Role Questions – from the perspective of the:
• Executive Level
• Strategic Level
• Tactical Level
• Support Level

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– Process Questions – from the perspective of the:
• Executive Level
• Strategic Level
• Tactical Level
• Support Level

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– Communications Questions – from the perspective of the:
• Executive Level
• Strategic Level
• Tactical Level
• Support Level

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– Metrics Questions – from the perspective of the:
• Executive Level
• Strategic Level
• Tactical Level
• Support Level

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– Tool Questions – from the perspective of the:
• Executive Level
• Strategic Level
• Tactical Level
• Support Level

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• In the webinar, I shared …
– Selecting the Appropriate Metadata to Govern
– The Business and Technical Value of a Data Catalog
– Building the Catalog into People’s Routines
– Positioning the Data Catalog for Success
– Questions the Data Catalog can Answer
Summary

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Q & A - Contact Information
• Robert S. Seiner
KIK Consulting & Educational Services – KIKconsulting.com
The Data Administration Newsletter – TDAN.com
rseiner@tdan.com @RSeiner
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