Enterprise data management

Enterprise Data Management (EDM) is:

EDM arose to address circumstances where users within organizations independently source, model, manage and store data. Uncoordinated approaches by various segments of the organization can result in data conflicts and quality inconsistencies – lowering the trustworthiness of the data as it is used for operations and reporting.

The goal of EDM is trust and confidence in data assets. Its components are:

EDM requires a strategic approach to choosing the right processes, technologies and resources (i.e. data owners, governance, stewardship, data analysts and data architects). EDM is a challenge for organizations because it requires alignment among multiple stakeholders (including IT, operations, finance, strategy and end-users) and relates to an area (creation and use of common data) that has not traditionally had a clear “owner.”

The governance challenge can be a big obstacle to the implementation of an effective EDM because of the difficulties associated with providing a business case on the benefits of data management. The core of the challenge is due to the fact that data quality has no intrinsic value. It is an enabler of other processes and the true benefits of effective data management are systematic and intertwined with other processes. This makes it hard to quantify all the downstream implications or upstream improvements.

The difficulties associated with quantification of EDM benefits translate into challenges with the positioning of EDM as an organizational priority. Achieving organizational alignment on the importance of data management (as well as managing data as an ongoing area of focus) is the domain of governance. In recent years the establishment of an EDM and the EDM governance practice has become commonplace despite these difficulties.

Implementation of an EDM program encompasses many processes – all of which need to be coordinated throughout the organization and managed while maintaining operational continuity. Below are some of the major components of EDM implementation that should be given consideration:

EDM requires alignment among multiple stakeholders (at the right level of authority) who all need to understand and support the EDM objectives. EDM begins with a thorough understanding of the requirements of the end users and the organization as a whole. Managing stakeholder requirements is a critical, and ongoing, process based in an understanding of workflow, data dependencies and the tolerance of the organization for operational disruption. Many organizations use formal processes such as service level agreements to specify requirements and establish EDM program objectives.

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Wikipedia