Data governance must be built in and not left to the last minute

Julian Thomas, Principal Consultant at PBT Group

No company can afford to treat data governance as an afterthought. And yet, time again, governance considerations are sidelined. Typically, these are only addressed when audits loom or when compliance flags are raised at the final stages of a project. This reactive approach leaves businesses scrambling to retrofit governance measures, creating inefficiencies, compliance risks, and missed opportunities for leveraging high-quality data.

Rather, data governance must be prioritised from the earliest phases of project planning and treated as a fundamental feature of any data-driven initiative. Too often, businesses view governance as a burdensome checklist item at the end of a project rather than as a built-in component of a strong data strategy. This mindset must change.

An integrated approach

A common pitfall is the assumption that data governance can be addressed in isolation. Many decision-makers think that it can be handled by a small, dedicated team and documented in extensive governance policies. While well-intended, this approach often results in governance guidelines that are poorly communicated and inconsistently implemented.

A real challenge is that in many instances, by the time governance issues are raised, often in response to regulatory scrutiny or operational roadblocks, teams must rush to retrofit compliance measures, leading to delays, cost overruns, and compromised data integrity.

A key deliverable

Solution architects, system designers, and business analysts must treat data governance as a core feature deliverable. It should not be seen as an optional extra. This means integrating governance into business requirements, system design, and project planning from the outset. Governance requirements should be clearly defined at the beginning of a project, ensuring alignment with both internal policies and regulatory standards. Implementation teams need to be actively engaged in governance discussions, ensuring that compliance is not just a theoretical exercise. Instead, it has to be a practical reality embedded into workflows and processes.

Getting trust back

Governance is no longer about ticking regulatory boxes. Think about it as building a foundation for trust in organisational data. When governance is embedded from the outset, companies build resilient, data-driven enterprises that can operate with confidence.

So, instead of seeing governance as a compliance obligation, companies need to recognise it as a strategic advantage. High-quality, well-governed data fuels better decision-making, enhances operational efficiency, and reduces risk exposure.

It is time for businesses to move beyond last-minute governance fixes. By treating data governance as a foundational element of data initiatives, companies can position themselves for long-term success in an increasingly data-centric world.