Democratizing Analytics

Chapter 3. Democratizing Analytics and Data Governance

Is it possible to provide greater access to data across your business while still maintaining high security and privacy standards? After all, sensitive or personally identifiable data, such as employee data and customer data, typically has restrictions on who can access it, for what purpose, and when. Sensitive information faces increased risk of theft, loss, or exposure when more people have access. Providing additional access means you must undertake more frequent and broader audits to ensure that sensitive data is kept secure.

To understand how to implement analytics democratization appropriately, let’s quickly review the principles of data governance:

Accountability

Security is typically relegated to one department, such as IT; however, everyone in your organization must understand the value and risks involved with data access to ensure that the data is used properly. To do this, accountability has to cross all areas of your organization and is best represented by a governing body.

Regulation

Your organization needs well-developed, well-defined rules for data usage and access. These rules should be flexible enough to apply to all levels of the organization but restrictive enough to ensure the security and privacy of the data being accessed.

Stewardship

Each area within the organization needs expertise around its data. These data stewards understand the data, its security concerns, and its nuances. They provide ...