It is no secret that data management needs differ from one organization to the other. Equally important, they also need different solutions since it is crucial to come up with the correct strategy. How do the organizations make sure of that? Some things can make the difference, no doubt. In this piece, we will be discussing the best practices of data management. Check them out!
- Ensure that you have a plan
Developing and writing a data management plan is essential. It should include guidelines on ownership, how to archive and access the data. It is also essential to estimate data usage while at it. Let it portray your data management strategy clearly to all involved parties, including investors and auditors.
There are things that a good plan entails. One of them is the default file format and other alternatives. Ensure that it also has naming conventions and well-laid access rights of every stakeholder. Don’t forget to include archiving and backup processes and detailed documentation of every process. Last but not least, let it define all the partners, their services, and terms to the point.
- Data Storage
Having the right strategy for storing your data is also one of the best practices. Do you need a data lake, data warehouse, or both? Will you go for a cloud or on-premises storage solution? Once you make that call, shift your focus to consistency. Enforce it through standard naming of users, directories, folders, and files.
Don’t overlook the data security approach because it is crucial for your data as an organization. Besides that, consider data backup. One common approach usually has three copies, remotely stored, locally stored, and the original one.
Since the team can change any day, documentation is also crucial. It ensures that the new team can continue using the current approaches and strategies with ease. Nevertheless, whichever storage procedure you choose, ensure that it can handle change quite well. After all, it is inevitable, especially in the technology world, which keeps changing way too often.
- Data Sharing
At this juncture, consider how you will be sharing the data. It is not as simple as it may sound since you have to ensure that you send it to the right person. Ensure that the owner of the data is well defined from the word go. After that, determine whether it can be copied or not. Equally important, identify the rights that every involved party has to share and contribute to the data.
Classified data, proprietary intellectual property, corporate secrets, and copyrights must be differentiated from the regular set. Figure out what statement the data make regarding the institution it belongs to. Once all that is no longer a mystery, settle for the means and places you will choose to share the information. That’s where infrastructure, networks, and software mostly comes in.
Conclusion
Not every data management strategy will yield fruits. Most of them fail to incorporate these best practices of the same. Your organization should avoid such a mistake. Ensure that a plan begins from the word go. Prioritize security throughout every layer and module because lack of it can be a deal-breaker. With all the practices in place, success will be achievable.
