Automated data governance is a relatively new concept that is fundamentally altering data governance practices. Traditionally, organizations have relied on manual processes to ensure effective data governance. This approach has given governance a reputation as a restrictive discipline. But, as organizations increasingly adopt automation in their governance processes, this perception is changing.

The way that companies govern data has evolved over the years. Previously, data governance processes focused on rigid procedures and strict controls over data assets. But now, with the data-driven culture, modern enterprises are adopting an agile approach toward data governance that primarily centers around data accessibility and empowering business users to take responsibility for governing and managing data.

At a time when artificial intelligence (AI) and tools like generative AI (GenAI) and large language models (LLMs) have exploded in popularity, getting the most out of organizational data is critical to driving business value and carving out a competitive market advantage. To reach that goal, more businesses are turning toward hybrid cloud infrastructure – with data on-premises, in the cloud, or both – as a means to tap into valuable data.

Digitalization has led to more data collection, integral to many industries from healthcare diagnoses to financial transactions. For instance, hospitals use data governance practices to break siloed data and decrease the risk of misdiagnosis or treatment delays. Therefore, managing data to protect its integrity and security leads to high-quality, reliable data that empowers organizations to make informed decisions.

Data governance covers processes, roles, policies, standards, and metrics that help an organization achieve its goals by ensuring the effective and efficient use of information. It sets up the processes and responsibilities necessary to maintain the data’s quality and security across the business. Data governance manages the formal data assets of an organization.

According to Gartner, 80% of companies worldwide are expected to have efficient data management systems in place by 2025. This projection highlights the growing recognition of data governance tools as essential enablers for maintaining and enhancing the quality and security of organizational data within these data management systems. In this blog, we will talk about some of the best data governance tools and software to consider in 2024.

Metadata governance is the systematic approach to managing metadata, or data about data, to ensure it is accurate, consistently formatted, and securely stored. The main goal of metadata governance is to improve data quality, ensure data privacy, and streamline metadata management. As metadata provides the necessary details about data, such as when it was created, by whom, and its content or purpose, it becomes easier for employees to find, understand, and trust the data they use.

One of the key processes in healthcare data management is integrating data from many patient information sources into a centralized repository. This data comes from various sources, ranging from electronic health records (EHRs) and diagnostic reports to patient feedback and insurance details.

Data governance and data quality are closely related, but different concepts. The major difference lies in their respective objectives within an organization’s data management framework. Data quality is primarily concerned with the data’s condition. It ensures the data is complete, accurate, reliable, and consistent. On the other hand, data governance refers is the overall management, maintaining compliance, and ensuring the security of data assets within an organization.