Data Governance: The Unsung Hero of Network Operations
Data and data systems are the lifeblood of modern business. Innovations like cloud computing, business intelligence, analytics, and automation hold the promise of operational efficiency and strategic insight; but without proper visibility and control over data, all that digitization can get in the way of productivity by creating a management nightmare. Time spent wrestling with difficult systems is time not spent extracting useful insights from the information contained therein and can discourage innovation.
Not so long ago, even large organizations handled data governance as a mostly discrete function. Some data and business applications were available company-wide, but specific business functions—and the data associated with them—were largely isolated and inaccessible to teams that might benefit from the knowledge they contained. Such isolation, often referred to as data silos, rewards routine and stanches innovation, preventing an organization from improving processes and efficiencies.
To change that dynamic, it’s vital that the silos be torn down and the data be interconnected. But without robust tools that are easy to use, it can be difficult to know what’s going on with the data flowing into, out of, and within your enterprise. And without that level of control and visibility you run the risk of failing to meet service level agreements (SLAs), losing track of vital files, and you may even fall afoul of the many security and privacy regulations that dictate the care of sensitive personal information and high-value intellectual property today.
Solutions designed for today’s demanding data management landscape operate as highly evolved gateways, bridging the gap between an enterprise’s internal constituencies and the many external entities that constitute a network of partners, contractors and customers. As these interconnected relationships grow, so does the need for more efficient and easy-to-use means of analyzing the underlying data flows that give employees and managers the insights necessary to make good decisions and for IT managers to govern their systems.
This need is a driving factor behind the development of management and analytics platforms that are tightly integrated to the systems that manage data flow in an enterprise. By tying into business and operational intelligence, IT managers have the near real-time ability to ensure data is moving in and out of an organization correctly and efficiently. That means alerting network administrators to conditions that could put security, compliance or operations in jeopardy.
IT teams are being tasked with greater responsibility over mission-critical systems and business functions.
