In big data era, governance still important

The concept behind big data - vast amounts of information moving quickly through systems and often lacking structure - may seem to make it incompatible with normal governance and management efforts. Consultant Aaron Zornes, however, recently told TechTarget that classic governance can and should continue to matter even as the makeup of data systems changes.

Zornes noted that companies are unlikely to entirely change the way they organize their analytics practices when given access to new sources of figures. Instead, they will likely add these inputs and opt for a hybrid approach combining many data points. Zornes noted that governance can still help in these situations.

For instance, he explained that governance processes often help companies set data quality and usability benchmarks. Now, with multiple sources of information pouring in, firms may need a way to distinguish between better and worse inputs and make sure their analytics efforts deliver the best possible results. Governance rules can help.

Certain industries, especially those with strict regulations on data usage, have better cases for governance than others. According to PropertyCasualty360, analytics consultant Bill Jenkins reported that data quality and governance efforts are important in insurers' efforts to take value from analysis and business intelligence.