Getting to grips with data: The metadata challenge

We talked before about Data Management Deficit Syndrome, and the problems it can cause. A key enabler to addressing these issues is metadata. But… what even is metadata? Why is it important and what does it do for your organization?

Data is an asset, and asset management requires that you have key information about it: e.g. what the asset is, where it is, and what condition it is in. Put simply, you cannot control what you don’t understand. Imagine being asked to take responsibility for some data in your organization (we will talk more about data governance roles in our next blog). To be effective, you will need to understand:

• What data am I responsible for?
• What is the correct meaning/use of the data?
• Where, and in what systems is that data held?
• Who is using it, and for what?
• What data issues exist – e.g. quality, policy adherence, etc.

It is the job of your metadata (literally data about data) to help answer these questions. It maps the data in your organization and enriches that with key information needed to control the data.

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