After forming a picture of current state, assess the level of satisfaction with current state in order to gain insight into the organization’s data management needs and priorities. For example:
- Does the organization have the information it needs to make sound, timely business decisions?
- Does the organization have confidence in its revenue reports?
- Can it track the organizational key performance indicators?
- Is the organization in compliance with all laws regarding management of data?
Most organizations that seek to improve their data management or governance practices are in the middle of the capability maturity scale (i.e., they are neither 0’s nor 5’s on the CMM scale). To craft a relevant Data Management Organization, it is important to understand and accommodate the existing company culture and organizational norms. If the Data Management Organization is not aligned to the existing decision-making and committee constructs, it will be challenging to sustain it over time. Therefore, it makes sense to evolve these organizations, rather than imposing radical changes.
A Data Management Organization should align with a company’s organizational hierarchy and resources. Finding the right people requires an understanding of both the functional and the political role of data management within an organization. The aim should be cross-functional participation from the various business stakeholders. To accomplish this:
- Identify Employees currently performing data management functions; recognize and involve them first. Hire additional resources only as data management and governance needs grow.
- Examine the Methods the organization is using to manage data and determine how processes can be improved. Determine how much change is likely to be required to improve data management practices.
- Roadmap the Kinds of Changes that need to take place from an organizational perspective to better meet requirements.
For Your Further Reading:
