When organizations are small and simple, information technology is often thought of as just a means to support their their business. But as organizations grow in complexity and sophistication, they begin to realize that their data is a real asset with enormous value requiring proactive management. Enter data governance, a set of concepts and processes centered on ensuring that an organization has secure and high-quality data throughout its life cycle.

In this session, we begin with an overview of the problems and lost productivity faced by organizations without data governance but aren’t using it. We then discuss the basics of data governance as it applies to the Microsoft Data Platform, as well as important related concepts, like master data management, metadata management, and data stewardship.

From there, we dive into best practices for DBAs to start a database governance program and ensure its success.