What is the importance of data governance?

Data governance plays a crucial role in an organization's overall data management strategy. Its primary focus is to ensure that the data managed by the organization is accurate, consistent, and secure. This entails implementing policies, processes, and standards that guide how data is collected, stored, processed, and shared.

Ensuring data quality is fundamental; it means that the data is reliable and fits the intended purpose, which is vital for making informed business decisions. Data governance also emphasizes the importance of data privacy, protecting sensitive information from unauthorized access or leaks, and complying with various regulations, such as GDPR or HIPAA, which mandate strict guidelines on data handling and usage.

While tracking employee performance, managing user access, and data cleanup are all parts of broader data management efforts, they do not encapsulate the comprehensive approach that data governance entails. Data governance is about establishing a framework that not only addresses these aspects but also ties them back to overarching goals of accountability, transparency, and compliance across the organization.