Navigating the “Seven C’s” of Selecting the Right Data Governance Partner

The focus for the majority of my Informatica blog posts so far this year has been to highlight interviews with our data governance customers, to share their opinions and introduce their story. It’s all part of a new program that we’re calling the Data Empowerment Experts, a series of monthly webinars that let you hear directly from customers and industry experts as they share valuable lessons learned while building and expanding their data governance programs. I would encourage you to check it out.

But I’m doing something a little different this time: Instead of gathering advice from these experts, in this post I’m offering my own guidance.

In the past several years of covering data governance with Informatica, it’s been my unique pleasure to work with nearly one hundred of the biggest and most innovative thought leaders in data governance as they share their story. And one question comes up in almost every conversation: “How did you select your technology partner?” Although customers might phrase it differently—it might be more implicit, or they may ask it more directly—the key point here is that customers want to know what factors to consider when deciding to operationalize their data governance program. Perhaps not so surprisingly, the answers to this nearly universal question are often very similar: I’ve categorized in seven areas here.

• Complete. When you’re looking for a data governance partner, you need to look for a solution that has all of the components you need to be successful. For many customers, definition, discover, and measuring quality are critical. As your journey matures, you’re probably going to need many other tools such as privacy, data integration, and master data management. Look for a vendor that has a modular, scalable platform that can easily grow with you.
• Collaborative. Although data governance is driven by the business, it’s supported by technical counterparts. Look for a data governance solution that is collaborative in nature and can provide the right experience for the right user for the right task and is also purposefully designed and built for the specific needs of those team members.
• Connected. It can be critical to ensure that you have a comprehensive platform as a solution instead of a collection of independent tools. To reduce manual effort and increase operational efficiency, look for a vendor whose platform is connected via intelligence and automation.
• Curation. Modern data governance platforms aren’t just about documentation. Today’s data governance leaders need to empower the rest of their organization with data that they can trust to deliver business value. Your key to scaling value creation—from one or two projects at a time to countless strategic business initiatives—is your ability to cultivate data that business users need while also being able to deliver that data along with the necessary context.
• Community. Look for a vendor where you won’t be alone but instead a contributor to a collective community of data governance professionals. Whether it’s monthly webinars to interactive communities, customer advisory boards and user groups, you’ll be more successful when you work with a technology partner that can connect you with other like-minded leaders as well as celebrate the amazing work and accomplishments with your team.
• Caring. It’s one thing for a vendor to say that they are committed to customer experience—it’s quite another thing to be rated by leading customer service associations, such as the Technology Services Industry Association. 
• Consistent. Year in and year out, look for a partner who is consistently rated as a Leader in all of the essential elements to data governance and data management, and also rated favorably as a company. In addition, consider many third-party sources as you continue your evaluation. As you research, look for consistency: who’s there, who isn’t, and where do they stand? Ultimately, you’ll know you’re making an educated selection in finding your next data governance technology partner.

Of course, there are other considerations, and even though this list is fairly comprehensive, I’m sure there are other “C’s” missing (we don’t always hit the bullseye). If you’re still undecided, consider two final points:

First, even within the technology, not all tools are really a solution for data governance. Contemplate and consider the differences as you select an intelligent data governance solution. Second, look for a Champion. Yes, that’s another word that begins with the letter C, but perhaps the most topical. The data governance market changes rapidly. Bloor Research recently published their 2020 Market Update centered on data governance. Informatica is proud to be named a Champion in this new report. Get your copy today and explore even deeper insights on our solution from Bloor Research in this accompanying InBrief report.

As you navigate these “seven C’s” of selecting your next data governance technology partner, join us each month to hear directly from our customer community on why Informatica was their choice. I look forward to connecting with you on our next episode.