Data Governance vs. Data Management: Definitions and Strategies

Thriving businesses know how to harness the power of data and technology in today's digital world. Most brand leaders rely on two powerful underlying processes to help drive success: data governance and data management. While some believe them to be unrelated concepts, they actually work together to promote strategic thinking and organizational effectiveness.

This blog will explore the fundamental concepts of data governance vs. data management, their interactions, and the strategies that unite them.

Differences Between Data Governance vs. Data Management

Data governance and data management are sometimes viewed as separate disciplines. Despite their differences, they are complex, interdependent areas that work together to improve organizational effectiveness.

Data governance frameworks — which ensure data is managed responsibly and in line with strategic objectives — are essential to successful data management. In contraposition, without solid data management, data governance cannot be implemented effectively to carry out policies and maintain data integrity. 

Below, we define both data governance vs. data management concepts for clarity:

Uniting Data Governance and Data Management

A harmonious collaboration between data governance policies and data management practices can help align data and people within an organization. The ultimate objective is to ensure everyone has access to the same reliable and accurate data, empowering data-driven decision-making across the board.

The first step in uniting these practices requires establishing clear policies and procedures. Setting guidelines lays the foundation for standardizing data handling, ensuring data quality, and maintaining compliance with government regulations. With such well-defined policies in place, organizations can then create a shared understanding of data practices that fosters a culture of accountability and alignment.

The next important step includes leveraging technology. Advanced data management tools and platforms can help facilitate efficient data handling, integration, and analysis. Automation can streamline data processes, reduce manual errors, and ensure consistency. Modern technology enables real-time monitoring and reporting, keeping data assets up-to-date and accurate.

If companies can optimize their architecture and transform policies and procedures to continuously monitor and keep current with best practices, their data resources will retain accuracy and provide better results to foster data-driven decision-making.

Policies and Procedures

As we mentioned earlier, policies and procedures provide a foundation for ensuring that all aspects of data handling follow a consistent rhythm. This enables teams to collaborate effectively and allows companies to foster a culture of accountability and alignment.

While the following list is not exhaustive, we’ve highlighted some essential policies and procedures that help unite data governance and data management: 

1. Data Classification Policy. Classifying data based on sensitivity levels helps ensure proper handling and protection of sensitive information.
2. Data Access and Security Policy. Clearly defining who has access to data and putting safeguards in place can prevent unauthorized access.
3. Data Quality Policy. Provide outlines of the standards employees must follow to ensure data accuracy, completeness, and consistency.
4. Data Retention and Deletion Policy. Create guidelines for data retention periods and secure disposal of inessential data.
5. Data Privacy Policy. Protect individuals' identifiable information by safeguarding sensitive data and adhering to data privacy regulations.
6. Data Stewardship Policy. Assign clear accountability measures for data oversight and ensuring data ownership.
7. Data Integration Policy. Establish a policy that guides data integration processes to maintain data integrity across multiple sources.
8. Data Documentation Policy. Create accessible documentation for data sources, definitions, and business rules to ensure clarity.
9. Data Lifecycle Management Policy. Develop a policy to govern the management of data throughout its lifecycle, from creation to archival or disposal.
10. Data Standards and Metadata Policy. Create standards for data and for keeping metadata updated to ensure consistent data interpretation.

Technology

Integrating data governance and management into daily operations requires the use of appropriate technological solutions. Selecting the proper technology is critical to an  organization’s efficient and accurate data management, which also fosters a company culture of informed decision-making.

Let's explore some of the latest technological solutions that can help optimize your data governance and data management practices:

Master Data Excellence With the Help of Professionals

In the modern digital landscape, a close evaluation of the differences and interconnections between data governance and data management can help organizations understand their critical roles in fostering better decision-making. 

What becomes evident is that clear policies and procedures serve as the foundation for good data practices that help bridge data governance and data management. When the right technological solutions are in place to support data management, the daily data handling tasks become more streamlined, accurate, dependable, and easy to govern.

Concord is a market leader in providing organizations with comprehensive data management tools and services. From data automation to master data management, integration, and beyond, Concord ensures that data remains at the center of informed decision-making and strategic growth.

With Concord's expert, industry-leading solutions, businesses can gain a competitive edge and start a journey of data-driven excellence. If you want to learn more about data governance vs. data management practices or about our specific data management solutions, you can read a recent case study in which Concord achieved client goals by building a data warehouse from the ground up with Oracle Exadata.

Getting Started

Concord is a consultancy that combines technology and industry depth with a get-it-done culture to enable resiliency, efficiency, and innovation. Whether you are looking to improve customer satisfaction, implement effective data strategies, optimize cloud applications, or anything in between, we can help.

Contact us today to learn more about how to build a customer experience strategy in retail, our Technology and Data Integration Services, and how we can help your business thrive.