Melissa UK Team | United Kingdom

According to the GDPR, personal data refers to any information related to a person including name, photo, email, address, bank details, social media updates, medical information and even IP addresses. It can come in various forms and contains several data elements. Data governance and GDPR are complimentary as a strong data governance program is vital for GDPR compliance and with GDPR now in force, world leaders are paying close attention to how data is governed, collected and shared.

This growth in the importance of data governance not only ensures that customer information is protected but also demonstrates the need for a digital transformation. Whilst data governance is becoming increasingly more important, approaches to data governance are outdated. Organisations are now collecting more data from various sources in huge volumes thanks to technological advances and social media which have changed the way people access and interact with information. But as the level of data held by firms increases, the way in which data is governed lags behind.

A data governance program should be equipped with supporting technology which ensures that new data sources or changes can be made accurately. With consumers changing how they search, locate and interact with information thanks to social platforms, organisations are also expected to adapt. Organisations should look to invest in tools and solutions that will help them to manage their data and ensure its accuracy. A strong data quality solution which reviews data at the point of entry can be extremely useful in the beginning.

A proactive approach should be taken within the whole organisation regarding how information regarding data elements is shared within the organisation. Creating a platform based on information sharing and collective knowledge can help to ensure accuracy and accountability within the business. All departments within the business should be responsible for monitoring data and ensuring its accuracy.

It is important to remember that investing heavily in data governance should not be done simply because of GDPR compliance but because data governance plays a key role in digital transformation. Data governance supports business growth, knowledge and performance as it can provide critical insights into customers and help build solid customer relationships.

Melissa is able to offer data quality solutions that can be tailored to your organisation’s data governance needs, for more information please contact info.uk@melissa.com or ring the team on 020 7718 0070.

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