Data Governance, Metadata Management, and Consent and Preference Management Software
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Consumer data drives business. However, pressures from regulators and consumers often complicate the data landscape, making it difficult for organizations to collect and use this information. Data governance, metadata management, and privacy software can function independently of one another or together to create a robust technology stack that drives regulatory compliance, consumer satisfaction, and effective marketing.
Data Governance Software
What is data governance software?
Data governance is the process of managing and organizing data so that it is available, usable, consistent, accurate, and secure at an organization-wide level. Data governance serves as a foundation for effective data collection, analysis, and decision-making.
Data governance software is a tool that allows organizations to organize, manage, and protect the sensitive information they collect and want to use to enhance their business. Some data governance tools can also automate audits, optimize workflows, and demonstrate compliance.
What does data governance software do?
Data governance software benefits include:
- Data visibility and quality – By connecting and integrating information across systems, data governance software tears down organizational data silos that can lead to inaccuracies. Improved data visibility allows for holistic reporting and decision-making.
- Data security and compliance – Data governance software monitors regulatory updates in order to flag risks and provide actionable steps to achieve compliance in real time.
- Automation – Automating audits and other data management processes helps organizations run efficient data governance programs while also saving time and money
Who uses data governance software?
In large, enterprise organizations there is likely a data governance office with a data governance team. In a typical enterprise, a data governance team could be made up of data analysts, compliance specialists, and data governance architects.
Metadata Management Software
What is metadata management software?
Metadata management is a subset of data governance that involves the details that describe collected consumer data. This information typically relates to attributes around the data collection: its origin, current location, owner, access controls, and audit trails. Metadata can inform organizations about the value of the content they collect from consumers and accordingly govern the appropriate use of this data.
What does metadata management software do?
Metadata management software can increase visibility and understanding of a company’s data across various teams and systems. Metadata information can help make the decision easier, promoting efficiency and compliance. The software also lets users edit and oversee data categorization. Metadata management tools can simplify data management and retrieval of this information to increase efficiency.
Without metadata management software, companies will struggle to determine what content they have and how it can be used. As privacy legislation evolves and more and more regulation is put around data, metadata management systems are becoming a critical piece of any organization’s data infrastructure.
Who uses metadata management software?
Metadata management software helps data engineers and IT teams who need to constantly manage and interact with data. From sales and marketing tools to internal HR, metadata management is critical in understanding how data can be used in an organization.
Consent and Preference Management Software
What is consent and preference management software?
Consent and preference management software can work within a data governance framework to help define the ways that consumer and user data can be used across an organization. Some of the best examples allow users to see what kind of information is stored, how it is used, and where it is transferred. Consent and preference management often falls into the privacy software space and can also help automate privacy assessments and data requests.
What does consent and preference management software do?
Consumers want to know that the companies they give their sensitive information to will not abuse the exchange. Consent and preference management software can help companies build the infrastructure that companies need to give consumers the confidence they need to manage this consent.
Who uses consent and preference management software?
Privacy professionals, IT teams, and data governance professionals all play a part in the success of a consent and preference management platform. The software is used as a tool to help implement, automate and enforce the usage of data through an organization.
Privacy Laws are Driving Unification Across Organizations
Privacy laws are making it critical for organizations to truly understand and consolidate the data that they are collecting and how they are using it. Data acquisition, creation, storage, and use can no longer be managed on a team by team or business unit by business unit basis and should adhere to centralized guidelines that meet privacy and regulatory obligations.
Combining the power of data governance, metadata management, and consent and preference management enables organizations to unify, regulate, and utilize data without compromising the trust of its users. When these three types of software work together, companies can confidently use consumer data in an effective and reliable manner. Marketing teams can still do marketing, sales teams can still make sales, and consumers can have trust that your organization respects their rights.
