Data assessments the GlueData way

“Whether or not your organisation is on a path to become a more data-driven enterprise or undergoing digital transformation, chances are greater focus is being placed on data in general. It is therefore imperative to understand the strategic importance of your data, and our data assessments are a good way to get started with that process,” states Ben Strydom, Account Executive and Data Architect at GlueData Services.

“Our data assessment approach identifies data quality and/or process issues and potential breaches or gaps that could pose risk to projects or processes. Our unique methodology utilises data templates, rules repositories, pre-built elements and workshop accelerators. This results in an accelerated approach that is low cost, quick and insightful. It reduces iterations and provides real-time results (such as those seen through dynamic reporting during the workshops).

"The final results can be delivered within two to four weeks, and the deliverables are re-usable and provide a high return on investment. For example, the rules master list can become a single point of control, used for point of entry control and data cleansing,” continues Strydom.

A data assessment can take place at any time; however, there are certain key drivers that highlight the need for an assessment. If you are struggling with any of the questions below or are preparing for an integration or migration project, then now may be the time to complete a data assessment.

There are many benefits to be derived from these data assessments:

Make decisions based on facts, not assumptions

Assessment recommendations and the Data Quality Scorecard provide insight into future data strategies and plans and identify existing gaps.

Get to grips with varying data sets, complex processes, transformation requirements, etc, sooner

Being more familiar with the data set in scope serves to reduce risk and enables a proactive approach – making ‘unknowns’, known.

Reduce risk to projects before they start

Assessing the data is key to planning and assists in mitigating project delays and budget overruns.

Identify subliminal or underlying issues or business risks

Finding patterns and trends through data analysis and overlaying this with regulatory standards and industry/standard practices can highlight multiple areas of focus.

Immediate approach and steps are better defined and underpinned by common principles

Assessment results provide guidelines for prioritising steps and realising return on investment from data initiatives.

Support data governance, master data management and data security strategies

Assessment initiatives promote effective communication and socialising of data management concepts and assist in identifying and defining roles for key stakeholders, such as data stewards and data owners, in support of the data strategy.

Lasting impact

The mechanisms identified to measure and control data in the assessment can be applied to monitor and control future data solutions, and the principles resulting from assessments continuously inform the data strategy, with far-reaching impact.

To find out more, contact GlueData.