Data Steward
In today's data-driven world, maintaining high-quality, secure, and well-managed data is essential for business success. This is where the role of a data steward comes in-as the guardian of an organisation's data, ensuring it remains reliable and compliant with policies.
TL;DR (Too Long; Didn't Read)
A data steward is responsible for maintaining data quality, security, and compliance within an organisation. They ensure data is accurate, well-organised, and aligned with business and regulatory standards.
Defining Data Steward
A data steward is a key figure in data management, overseeing data governance policies, security measures, and quality control. Their primary responsibilities include:
- Ensuring Data Accuracy - Preventing errors and inconsistencies
- Maintaining Data Security - Protecting sensitive information from misuse
- Enforcing Compliance - Ensuring data meets internal and legal standards
In essence, a data steward transforms raw data into a trustworthy business asset, enabling organisations to make informed decisions with confidence.
Synonyms
Data custodian, data guardian, information curator, data overseer, information steward, and data manager are all synonyms for data steward.
Antonyms
Data neglecter, data mishandler, and information saboteur are antonyms or opposites.
Generalised as
A data steward falls under broader concepts such as data management, data governance, information management, and data administration.
Specialised into
The role of a data steward can be categorised into specific roles, duties, and areas of knowledge within the broader field of data management. Specialised data roles include technical, business, compliance, quality, and metadata.
Why Do You Need a Data Steward?
A data steward plays a critical role in handling and optimising an organisation's data assets. To begin, these employees are critical to maintaining data quality by constantly monitoring accuracy, completeness, and consistency. This leads to more trustworthy decisions and operational efficiency. Second, stewards provide substantial contributions to compliance and risk mitigation activities. They help protect the organisation from legal and financial risks associated with noncompliance and potential data breaches by remaining up-to-date on data protection laws, regulations, and industry standards. Third, their emphasis on data quality helps to reduce costs by preventing errors and inconsistencies that would otherwise result in additional costs for corrective measures and rework.
Example
In a large financial institution, a data steward ensures that client information is accurately maintained in the database and is accessible to users via a data catalogue. These employees safeguard accuracy, completeness, and consistency by collaborating with the IT team. Aside from data maintenance, the steward strives to align the data catalogue with the company's strategic goals in order to contribute to more informed decision-making.
In Conclusion
A data steward acts as a manager of data, guaranteeing its quality, security, and conformity with the organisation's objectives. The work of these data managers becomes increasingly crucial, from ensuring data integrity to contributing to strategic decision-making.
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