Data Governance Blog

Stick Figures

Technology workers often overlook the human element of any solution. We are quick to assemble an architecture diagram with servers, SAN space, and .NET applications; but what is almost always conspicuously missing are the people to run them and use them. These days I find it hard to resist the temptation during meetings to jump up and add stick figures representing the people who will support and use the technology.

Instead, I ask the questions again and again. Who is going to support each component? What is the estimated hours needed to operate and maintain the environment? Who are my data stewards with buy-off on definitions and business rules? Who are my data custodians who house and manage access to the data keeping it safe from prying eyes? And lastly, where is the money coming from to fund these resources.

Often the missing component of any technology project is the human resource aspect of the total cost of ownership. Most IT pros can recite the licensing cost over the life of the equipment, but stumble over the true support costs. Likewise most business managers really don’t know who is really supporting their application until after they layoff the one unsung hero who kept their systems up and running.

One solution to tracking resource allocation is to capture the human support relationships along with your other metadata. Yes, with your metadata. You may already track servers and databases, why not track the relationship to the people to operate and maintain them? Then you would have a complete picture of who maintains what before you make the decision to lay them off.

If your metadata solution, cannot handle that task then I guess you are left with putting stick figures in your Visio diagrams. Remember to put one for the data steward and one for the data custodian (keeper of the technology).

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Thanks for stopping by. My writing is intended to take a lighter look at Data Governance, and toss in some pragmatic advice along the way.  If you are interested in more information on how to implement Data Governance in your organization, please contact me via LinkedIn or the email address below.

Regards,
Tom Jesionowski

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