You can implement information governance using Knowledge Platform one of the following methods:
Strategic (Top-Down) Approach
Rule-Based (Bottom-Up) Approach
Critical Data Element (CDE) Approach
Strategic (Top-Down) Approach
With the top-down approach, begin by identifying the organization’s strategy - in terms of its vision, mission, goals, and initiatives. When IT and the business staff can effectively communicate strategy across boundaries, the entire enterprise can begin to leverage data as a corporate asset. As you document the organization’s strategy, begin building relationships to the organization’s critical assets. The defining of critical assets then contributes to the creation of a business glossary, data catalog, and a comprehensive set of business policies and enforceable rules. In essence, the top-down approach starts with the “big picture” and trickles down to the fine details. This approach is useful in answering the questions “Why are we doing this?” and “How does this fit in our budget?”
This approach is recommended for governance teams with business stakeholder involvement from the get-go. It’s critical that the business strategy is documented as perceived enterprise-wide. Teams with doubts surrounding the enterprise’s strategy should consider deferring this effort to a later phase of implementation.
Rule-Based (Bottom-Up) Approach
When there’s an existing data quality, MDM, or other data management effort in place, organizations can initiate governance by documenting the rules applied to specific datasets in Knowledge Platform, centrify the systems where those datasets come from, the business policies that necessitate the rules, and the terms that must be understood to understand the implications of each asset.
Typically a collection of business policies also reveals initiatives and goals set at the enterprise and program levels.
If the governance effort is initiated by the IT team, it’s usually easier to begin where there are existing data management efforts - which is typically at the enforcement stage. This approach is best suited for customers already using Syniti solutions such as Data Quality, Master Data Management, or other enforcement technologies.
Critical Assets Approach
A problem that many of our customers face is that governance is left solely to IT - the business staff aren’t interested in getting involved. This approach focuses on assets which are central to business operations or reporting - we call these “critical assets”. We document the systems and datasets containing these assets, assign each asset a business definition, and then document governing policies and rules. This enables IT to show value in the governance program while educating the business staff on the processes and technology involved.
This approach is great for governance teams still in the initial phase of information management and governance. It can provide quick value in a relatively short time frame which is sometimes crucial for maintaining a governance project.
No entry point to Knowledge Platform is better than another - it all depends on the organization’s maturity level and specific data governance environment. Each Syniti customer has a designated Customer Success Manager who can help guide you, whichever approach you choose, and provide further expertise on implementations. To learn more about the Syniti Strategic Consulting, please contact Sales.