Improper payments have been a growing challenge for government entities as they work to support citizens in times of crisis. In 2019, over $175 billion in improper payments were issued by the Federal Government. That’s a 15% increase from 2018. Underlying factors around improper payments are not always due to fraud—inaccurate citizen data, coding errors,... more
Co-authored with Graham Thomas, Cognizant Global Head of Data Privacy. Is privacy dropping off the corporate agenda? Even as regulations and legislation for data protection march on, an alarming number of privacy programs are being quietly pushed to the back burner. A global assessment conducted by Informatica and Cognizant reveals that organizations are shrugging off... more
Co-authored with Nathan Turajski, Informatica Senior Director, Product Marketing. Privacy regulation is on the march. Companies are being hit with mega-fines while new sets of rules keep coming into force, yet many organizations seem to be in data denial. Global market assessments carried out by Informatica and Cognizant reveal a litany of once-active privacy programs... more
For a considerable number of individuals, data governance is a project of passion. These are the people who find their calling and dedicate their lives and their careers so they can consistently improve the quality of data to deliver real business value. They are the true believers in what trusted data can do for a... more
I’m often asked about the differences between software as a service (SaaS)-based master data management (MDM) and on-premises MDM. The answer is not that simple and requires a bit of explanation. To understand this better requires an explanation of what SaaS is, as well as why companies choose it rather than an on-premises solution. Let’s... more
Over the last several months, I’ve had the opportunity to be involved in discussions with chief data officers (CDOs) about how they are dealing with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Across industries, there are three key themes that have consistently surfaced. Dealing with the Initial Shock A crisis such as a global pandemic creates... more
The Data Governance Silo Breaking through silos within organizations is often a primary focus of modern data governance initiatives. This is a sensible objective, as it’s only when we collaborate across disciplines and functions that we can begin to gather a holistic view of our data and business landscapes, and ultimately make better-informed decisions. However,... more
We are all familiar with the endless and repetitive paperwork required at each doctor’s office visit. We complete them as quickly as possible and check the boxes with often just a brief scan. However, those little check boxes on the forms are about to play a much bigger role in how payer and provider organizations,... more
Over the last 30 years the evolution of consumer protection and data privacy regulations have required organizations to dramatically transform their approach to customer data management. While most professionals are somewhat familiar with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) due to their more recent public passage and outward-facing impacts... more
Where to begin? Governance is far more than just keeping a good glossary of business terms up to date. In fact, governance should bring together all sorts of different data assets and perspectives. From glossary and data inventories, to processes and policies and organizational views, there is a whole lot to think about. There will... more