What is a Data Catalog?
A data catalog is a core component of data governance and is a go-to knowledge base of data for users across an enterprise. In simple terms, data catalogs arrange data into a straightforward and easy-to-understand formats for all data users to understand, consume, and use. Developing a data catalog is a time-consuming process as it requires all users across various departments to agree on specific terminology and vocabulary to use moving forward.
When users want to search for data, identify its origins, and understand its journey through an entire data supply chain – without the complexity associated with technical terms – they refer to a business-ready data catalog.
Key Components of a Data Catalog:
- Business data lineage
- Transparency into metadata
- Data definitions
- Data synonyms
- Key business attributes
- Information on how and where data can be used
Why is a Data Catalog Important?
Accurate and reliable data can optimize a business, so it’s crucial that key decision-makers can access and locate that data, understand, and utilize it. What does this mean? Users need to be able to find and understand data to effectively transform it, first, into information, then into meaningful business insights that can improve outcomes.
IT departments are the only line of business equipped to manage and prepare data for large-scale analysis. As a result, most business users don’t understand the technical vocabulary IT uses. On the other hand, IT doesn’t understand data from the business perspective either.
A data catalog presents a solution to both sides – and removes the dependency on the IT department from business users – by helping data users to identify and understand data sets that are available to them. The simplicity and accessibility of data catalogs encourage users to become more effective in their work and facilitate.
How Precisely Can Help
Precisely offers Data360 Govern to establish a strong governance framework and proactively find, understand, and manage your data for better business outcomes based on trusted data.