The latest happenings at CONNECT: The Knowledge Network:

Over 700 people attended Maureen’s sessions, “Trends in Information and Data Governance” and “Top Ten Best Practices in Data Management” at the Database Grand Conference, October 28, 2008, in Seoul, Korea.

“Trends in Information and Data Governance” discussed the results of research done in 2007 by the International Association for Information and Data Quality and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock to gain insight into how organizations were governing their data and information assets. Their research indicates that organizations use multiple labels when referring to the activities associated with the governance of information assets. They also validate that governance related to managing information assets, in either an operational or strategic context, is difficult to do and a relatively immature process. Maureen also presented various organizational structures for information/data governance, including reporting structures, leadership, membership, meeting frequency, charters, and linkages to other initiatives. Partnerships required for successful governance were examined and recommendations for success were summarized.
“Top Ten Best Practices in Data Management” provided help for data professionals bombarded with news, tools, technologies, business demands, webinars, product demonstrations, and articles about data governance, data stewardship, information management, data quality, and data integration. Each year seems like it contains new solutions to the problems faced in data management, but are all these new approaches contributing to results or adding to the confusion? Good data management is achieved through a variety of policies, processes, technologies, and approaches. Although many organizations focus primarily on technology, there are a variety of non-technical practices that contribute to success. The presentation explored fundamental ingredients that contribute to achieving success in data management.