To understand the tools used within data management, you must first understand what exactly goes into data management. The process of data management is to save, organize, and maintain all of the data generated by a company. This idea originated in the 1980s when technology began to advance and companies could move from punch cards to a more digitally-based data storage solution. With the correct data management procedures in place, the data’s validity and accuracy is maintained. This data then informs the organization’s strategy which can lead to critical decisions, affecting the enterprise as a whole.
There are five main tools that companies can integrate into their data management efforts. To expedite the process for BI teams, each tool is now automated and will save business intelligence professionals valuable time and effort. To search for a specific data point, BI teams can utilize data discovery. In terms of understanding the data’s full flow, data lineage is a key tool for companies. This helps BI teams pinpoint where discrepancies exist and they can see any issues that the data encountered. To keep all business intelligence professionals on the same page, they can rely on the data dictionary. This tool provides context and information about an organization’s data. The data dictionary is composed of all database columns, schemas, and tables that exist in a company. For the organization to stay informed, businesses can implement a business glossary. This tool keeps track of all terminology in the company. Lastly, companies can utilize a data catalog to understand all of the data assets that exist.
