How to use a lean approach to data governance
Getting a data governance initiative started can be extremely challenging. This is especially true if you work in an unstructured manner, trying to start too many tasks at the same time or doing things in the wrong order.
Over the years I have developed my own methodology for implementing data governance successfully. This is based on my experience of what has worked successfully (as well as what hasn’t) over many years of implementing data governance.
Although I got into data governance by accident when I was a project manager, I had never particularly considered whether a lean approach could be applied. So, when I was first asked whether a Lean approach would work for implementing data governance, I decided to look into it.
It didn’t take me long to realize that I have incorporated some of the lean principles into my approach without realizing it and that a lean approach would definitely be a good way to structure a data governance implementation.
To be successful, data governance needs to be implemented iteratively and efficiently and that is why applying lean principles to data governance works so well.
Lean was originally created by Toyota to eliminate waste and inefficiency in its manufacturing operations. The process became so successful that it has been embraced in manufacturing sectors around the world and is now used in many different industries as it can improve how teams work together.
The goal of lean is to eliminate waste, i.e. the non-value-added components in any process. The idea being that until a process has gone through lean multiple times, it contains some element of waste. When done correctly, lean can create huge improvements in efficiency, cycle time and productivity, which leads to lower costs and improved competitiveness.
The Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI), founded by James P. Womack and Daniel T. Jones in 1997, is considered the go-to resource for lean wisdom if you want to learn more about the details, but for this blog I want to focus on why it is a good approach for data governance.
Lean principles are all about the following initiatives:
So let’s look at each of these in turn:
Lean improvements start with people, and the same can be said for data governance. Applying lean principles allows you to focus on your team first.
Instead of creating a huge project team to implement data governance, setting up a small central team to support users across your whole business will have greater success.
Rather than being responsible for all data, a small data governance team can focus on:
Many data governance initiatives fail because they are too big in scope, cost and timescales. Working on small phases or projects will more likely lead to success.
For example, try executing one process in a business area. When that is completed, implement that same process in the next business area. Don’t try to achieve too much at once; if the data governance programme is too large and unstructured, the benefits will not be delivered efficiently and the entire programme might get stopped.
