Data Governance Equals Business Opportunity. No, Really

Forrester clients describe their data governance work as long on effort but limited in success. Clients describe an inability to sustain data governance beyond a project or to show its business value; some feel that it's too bureaucratic. Yet there is strong evidence that competence in data governance leads to both operational efficiency and tangible business outcomes. Top-performing organizations use data for competitive advantage and exploit more internal and external data. Technology doesn't separate top performers from the rest of the pack; data governance and the alignment of data processes and business processes make the difference. This report defines a blueprint to adopt the practices of high performers and craft a successful data governance program to support business performance. This report was originally published on May 20, 2013; Forrester reviews and updates it periodically for continued relevance and accuracy, most recently in December 2014.