Unearth Reporting Needs

Understand the Terrain 

Data governance projects lead to interesting discoveries. Sometimes it’s necessary to examine groups of objects (like various data sets) to understand how they fit together in the ancient times when they were created.  

Once your data treasures are classified and catalogued, it’s time to organize them into stories that educate all team members—write your story by creating clear and standardized reports. Structure your reports to align with internal and external reporting needs and to automatically deliver to leaders to inform their decision making quickly. 

Beware of Pathway Obstacles 

• Watch for hidden traps: It can be hard to account for the entire ecosystem of external and internal reporting responsibilities. Be diligent and work with each department to make sure none remain hidden.  
• Resist the urge to tackle big data sets: Use small examples to avoid missing data needed for critical reports or collecting data in a way that is misleading or inconsistent.  

Use These Tools to Forge Ahead

• Reporting Inventory Sample: Document the sources that departments use to create their reports. While many departments use different sources, reporting should come from a common system, with each department having access to the data they need through permissions. 

Reach the Ideal Outcome

When you’re ready, you can head to the Museum of Data Artifacts Adventure: Display Your Findings.

Explore more adventures.