When many companies think of data, one overarching area comes to mind: data security. And it’s easy to understand why! With regulations like South Africa’s POPI Act coming into effect, and GDPR still looming over businesses in the EU, protecting the personal information in your company’s possession has become a priority.
But security should only form part of your data management system.
Data Management That Goes Beyond Security
Not all data that your company has access to will be personal information. There are many types of database management systems out there, but a holistic approach will help you to:
- Put practices in place to ensure that your company’s data is managed efficiently
- Make sure that your employees are putting data best practices to use
- Maintain the accuracy of your information
- Prevent duplicate records and maintain version control
- Manage the storage of your data
- Ensure the protection of all information in your control
- Put your information into actions that can have a positive impact on your business
And while this may seem like a lot for one person to manage, there are several different roles that data experts can take on to ensure that your data management system is effective.
7 Roles Behind Every Great Data Management System
No one data processor would be able to handle every aspect of a business’ data plan, particularly if the plan is holistic rather than piecemeal. That’s why a holistic data management system can be divided up into 7 specific roles, which can be managed individually or split amongst your IT team:
1. Data Master
Master data management (MDM) is all about ensuring that your business is using one consolidated and accurate set of information. A Data Master is like the ringleader of your data management team, ensuring that all of your efforts are contributing towards the goal of accumulating and protecting a single set of information that can be used to further your business.
2. Data Quality Manager
A Data Quality Manager is a Data Master’s go-to person for making sure that data is consolidated. You may have accurate data, but if it is impossible to find the information that you need, or if the data is being stored multiple times, some more recent than others, then it will be easy for important data to become lost in the chaos. A Data Quality Manager ensures that your information is consistent and version-controlled.
3. Data Governor
Data management is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Every business will have their own data requirements, and finding the right system that will work for your business is no easy task. That’s why a Data Governor’s role is all about defining the data practices that your business is going to put into place. It’s about outlining procedures and defining what the ideal management system for your business is going to look like.
4. Data Steward
Having rules is all well and good, but they also need to be followed. Where a Governor’s role is all about deciding on policies and procedures, a Steward’s role is all about enforcing them, and making sure that the guidelines for data processing, storage and management are followed to a tee.
5. Data Security Expert
Once an Advanced Persistent Threat has taken place, whether it was successful or not, businesses often fall into a false sense of security. The worst has happened. The attack has taken place. It’s time to deal with the fallout from it. What they often forget is that APT attackers may still have access to their networks.
Before rebuilding your network and getting things back to normal, it’s important to run thorough checks to ensure that no unauthorised code, malware or backdoors are hidden in your systems.
Keeping your data safe and secure is essential, and not just for GDPR or POPI compliance. A Data Security Expert’s role is all about implementing the best possible security measures to ensure the protection of your information. This includes managing data encryption and controlling who has access to your information, as well as putting measures like Backups and Disaster Recovery in place so that your data is never at risk of being lost or held ransom by attackers.
6. Data Storage Manager
Where you keep your data is just as important as the kind of information that you keep. Ensuring that your information is securely stored, while remaining accessible, is an essential part of data security and management. A Data Storage Manager’s role is all about finding, implementing and managing an on-premises or cloud storage solution that will see your business safeguarding its data, while still being able to access and analyse it.
7. Big Data Manager
Every company is generating huge amounts of data every single day, and being able to analyse that information can see your business not just succeeding, but thriving. The right data can help you to make informed business decisions and exceed your goals, and a Big Data Manager’s role is studying the information coming in to detect trends and pinpoint data that can be used to your company’s advantage.
Who Can You Turn to For Help?
Putting a data management system in place is an important step in helping your business stay safe and compliant with regulations, but it can also help your company to reach and exceed its goals. But many businesses don’t have access to employees with the skillset required to manage their data effectively and efficiently, or have only one team member trying to take on these multiple roles on their own.
This is where having a team of experts behind you can be an invaluable asset to your business. Consulting with an IT company in Cape Town or Johannesburg who specialises in managing data and putting IT solutions and systems in place can see your business making data a priority, and stepping confidently into the future. Let Solid Systems be that company – get in touch with us today.
