Making the case for data governance (and actually getting it over the line)

Data governance webinar.

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Building a strong business case for data governance is rarely straightforward. The benefits are real – improved decision-making, reduced risk, smoother compliance – but because they’re often intangible or long-term, governance is still seen as a hard sell.

That’s a problem. Without it, organisations are flying blind with their data – exposing themselves to regulatory risk, relying on poor-quality information and missing opportunities to innovate with confidence.

Cloud Essentials has worked with organisations across industries to successfully elevate data governance from “important but not urgent” to “essential and actioned”. Here’s how the company recommends navigating the most common challenges, and building a business case that actually gets over the line.

What is data governance?

Data governance refers to the management of data’s availability, usability, integrity and security across your organisation. It ensures that data is accurate, appropriately accessible and aligned with business goals and compliance requirements.

One of the biggest stumbling blocks in building a business case for data governance is explaining its value – especially when that value isn’t easy to put into a spreadsheet.

Yes, there are some clear financial benefits over time (reduced storage, fewer compliance fines, faster reporting). But a big part of the ROI comes from less tangible outcomes like increased trust in data, improved decision-making and reduced risk exposure.

And that’s where many cases fall flat: these benefits are real, but hard to quantify.

Poor data governance rarely causes a single dramatic failure. It erodes value slowly, through inaccurate reports, duplicated work, regulatory blind spots and missed insights. Until one day, you’re dealing with a serious incident (like a breach or audit failure) that could have been avoided.

Real-world impact of weak governance:

• A regulatory fine due to mishandled personal data.
• Reputational damage from publishing incorrect metrics.
• Wasted time and cost chasing inconsistent or inaccessible data.
• Delayed AI adoption due to concerns around data quality and privacy.

Cloud Essentials recommendations: Don’t just focus on what governance prevents. Highlight what it unlocks. Clean, well-governed data is what powers effective analytics, AI and Copilot adoption. Governance isn’t just about reducing risk – it’s about being ready for what’s next.

Data governance doesn’t live in a single department. It touches everything – operations, compliance, IT, analytics, finance, legal, even HR. That makes stakeholder identification and alignment one of the trickiest (but most essential) parts of building your business case.

Each group comes with its own priorities:

• Compliance teams want auditability and control.
• IT wants manageability and security.
• Business users want trusted data that’s easy to access and use.
• Executives want measurable value and minimal disruption.

The challenge is getting all these people – with different goals, pressures and vocabularies – to see how data governance supports their objectives.

And when governance is framed as a purely technical or compliance-driven project, it’s no surprise it struggles to get buy-in beyond those teams.

Common misalignment pitfalls:

• Governance seen as “IT’s job” rather than a shared responsibility.
• Business teams feeling locked out of the process (or overwhelmed by it).
• Decision-making slowed down by unclear ownership or competing priorities.

Cloud Essentials recommendations: When Cloud Essentials runs governance programmes, it starts by mapping stakeholder needs against governance outcomes. Then it builds the business case using language and metrics that resonate with each group. One-size-fits-all messaging won’t cut it – a targeted approach is what gets buy-in across the board.

Even when there’s broad agreement that data governance is important, things can grind to a halt when it comes to ownership.

Who’s actually responsible for keeping data accurate? Who maintains the policies? Who decides what gets deleted or archived, and when?

These questions can spark resistance, especially from teams that already feel overburdened or worry about losing control over “their” data. And without clear accountability, it’s easy for governance efforts to become fragmented or stall altogether.

Common flashpoints:

• Pushback from business units wary of added workload or oversight.
• Confusion over who owns which datasets, especially in cross-functional systems.
• Tension between IT control and business autonomy.

Cloud Essentials recommendations: Governance works best when responsibility is clearly defined and shared in a way that makes sense. That often means having central policies everyone follows, but giving teams the flexibility to manage their own data day to day. Cloud Essentials helps clients put practical models in place that clarify who does what, without adding unnecessary complexity.

Data governance doesn’t come for free. Between the technology, the people and the time investment, it can look like a sizeable cost centre – especially when it’s up against other high-profile projects that promise faster returns.

Licensing, tooling, training, change management, stakeholder time – it all adds up. And in many organisations, governance is still seen as a “back office” concern, making it harder to compete for budget or boardroom attention.

What you're up against:

• Budget pressure from flashier or more urgent initiatives.
• A shortage of internal expertise or capacity.
• Difficulty justifying spend when benefits aren’t immediate or easily measured.

Cloud Essentials recommendations: The key is to balance quick wins with long-term goals. Small successes – like improving retention policies or rolling out sensitivity labels – help prove value early and build momentum. At the same time, Cloud Essentials works with clients to set a clear roadmap that aligns governance efforts with broader business strategy. And because many already have access to Microsoft Purview, there’s often value to unlock without any extra licensing costs.

Even when the risks of poor data governance are understood, it’s often still viewed as a support function – something to keep the auditors happy, not a driver of business value.

That perception can be hard to shake, especially when governance is buried under technical language, long timelines or framed as just another compliance checkbox.

But governance is foundational. It underpins everything from regulatory resilience to AI readiness, and organisations that get it right don’t just avoid risk, they unlock opportunity.

What you’re really up against:

• The belief that governance is a “nice-to-have”.
• A lack of visible success stories within the organisation.
• Difficulty connecting governance to strategic goals like innovation or growth.

Cloud Essentials recommendations: One of the most powerful shifts we see is when organisations stop thinking of governance as a back-office burden and start treating it as an enabler. From trusted dashboards to ethical AI to Copilot roll-outs – none of it works without good data. That message resonates. Cloud Essentials helps clients make those connections clear and compelling, so governance becomes a business priority, not just a technical one.

There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all governance strategy – and the same goes for your business case. What resonates with a financial services board won’t land the same way with a healthcare trust or a tech start-up.

To gain traction, your case needs to reflect the specific risks, drivers and ambitions of your organisation. That means considering your industry’s regulatory landscape, your current level of data maturity and your broader business goals.

Too generic, and it won’t get buy-in. Too technical, and it’ll lose the room. The sweet spot? A tailored narrative that shows how governance supports your priorities – whether that’s innovation, cost reduction, operational efficiency or international growth.

Factors to consider:

• Sector-specific compliance needs (eg, GDPR, FCA, HIPAA).
• Organisational culture and appetite for change.
• Current pain points with data access, quality or security.
• Strategic initiatives that rely on data (AI, mergers, ESG reporting, etc).

Cloud Essentials recommendations: Cloud Essentials works closely with its clients to frame governance in a way that resonates – whether it’s de-risking expansion into new markets, enabling AI readiness or reducing the overhead of regulatory compliance. A well-tailored business case shows that governance isn’t a standalone initiative – it’s a strategic lever that supports everything else you’re trying to do.

Data governance is no longer something to put off until there’s more time or budget. It’s a foundational capability that enables trust, compliance, innovation and resilience – and the sooner you get started, the more value you’ll unlock.

Yes, the challenges are real. But so is the payoff. By addressing the blockers head-on and building a business case that speaks to your organisation’s goals, you’ll move governance out of the “too-hard” basket and into strategic action.

And you don’t have to go it alone…

How Cloud Essentials can help

Cloud Essentials has helped organisations of all sizes get their governance strategies over the line and into practice – faster, and with less internal friction. Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to accelerate stalled plans, Cloud Essentials can help you:

• Assess your current governance readiness.
• Identify practical, high-impact quick wins.
• Build a tailored business case with measurable ROI.
• Activate Microsoft Purview (without the usual headaches).

Join the company's live webinar on 1 July at 1pm BST (UTC+1) for expert insights and its six essential tools to help you build a compelling business case for data governance, demonstrating real ROI. And if the date has passed, use the link to catch up with the webinar on demand.

Register here.