A data governance tool can help organizations establish transparent, reliable and standard procedures and processes that handle data throughout their business. These tools assist organizations in implementing governance policies and best practice, provide an automated workflow for data quality assessment, and correction, as well as facilitate migration and enable them to track data lineage.
When selecting a tool for data governance, it’s important to consider its user-friendliness and how well it is integrated into an existing ecosystem. This will allow you to avoid disrupting workflows or requiring IT support. Look for features that automate privacy and access control requirements and maintain an audit trail that is central to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
The right tool must not just provide a unified interface to all data management and governance processes within an company, but also be capable of scaling easily with the expansion of the business and the shifts in data usage. Flexible licensing models, a low total cost of ownership and robust integrations with other technology systems are other important aspects to consider when choosing the right solution.
One of the most popular options is the SAP Master Data Governance (MDG) tool which is part of the SAP Business Technology Platform. Previously known as Erwin Data Intelligence by Quest Software this tool blends different data catalogs, data literacy and data governance products into one suite. It includes built-in data governance policies and a stewardship toolbox as well as roles-based views that make data more accessible for various users. It also includes automated functions to collect and catalog metadata, perform data profiling, and perform a mapping of data lineage.