Data Dave’s Data Journey — Part 1

Start Data Dave’s practical data consumer journey by seeing the current-state challenges people face when trying to find, understand, trust and access organisational data.

Helping Data Consumers Find, Understand, Access and Trust Organisational Data

Why is finding the right organisational data often so difficult, even when the data already exists?

Data Dave’s Data Journey follows a typical Data Consumer as he tries to find the information he needs to do his job.

What should be a simple journey can quickly become a cycle of searching across different systems, trying to identify the right dataset, finding an owner, gaining approval, requesting access and eventually discovering that the data still cannot be properly understood or trusted.

The challenge can be summarised in four words:

FIND • UNDERSTAND • ACCESS • TRUST

Data Dave’s Data Journey has been produced in two versions, using the same core Data Governance story but designed for different audiences and learning situations.

Choose the Version That Works for You

Sasha Korniak – Expert-Narrated Edition

Best for: learning, professional development and understanding the Data Governance problem

This is the original Data SkyLab Studio version, narrated by Sasha Korniak.

Sasha takes viewers through Data Dave’s journey and explains the Data Governance issues behind each stage.

It is designed for people who want to understand why Data Consumers experience these problems and how capabilities such as Data Discovery, Data Ownership, Data Stewardship, metadata, access management and Data Quality can improve the experience.

Use this version if you want to:

  • Learn directly from Sasha Korniak
  • Understand the Data Governance principles behind the story
  • Explore the challenges experienced by Data Consumers
  • Support your own professional learning
  • Introduce colleagues to the importance of effective Data Governance
  • Understand the problem before exploring technologies such as Microsoft Purview

Presented and narrated by Sasha Korniak — Data SkyLab Studio.

Data Consumer Training Edition – AI-Presented

Best for: organisational training, coaching, mentoring and Data Governance enablement

The Data Consumer Training Edition uses an AI-presented version of the Data Dave story.

It follows the same core learning journey but has been designed specifically so organisations can use the video as a practical training and enablement resource for their Data Consumers.

It can be embedded or shared within organisational learning materials and used to start conversations about how people currently discover, understand, request and use data.

Use this version for:

  • Data Consumer induction
  • Data Governance awareness training
  • Internal learning programmes
  • Data literacy initiatives
  • Coaching and mentoring
  • Team workshops
  • Data catalogue adoption
  • Data Governance community sessions
  • Enterprise Data Catalogue onboarding
  • Learning portals, intranets and internal knowledge sites

Rather than simply telling people how Data Governance works, the story encourages Data Consumers to think about their own experience of finding and using organisational data.

Same Story. Different Purpose.

Sasha-Narrated Edition

  • Presented by Sasha Korniak
  • Expert explanation and commentary
  • Individual and professional learning
  • Understand the Data Governance problem
  • Data SkyLab Studio learning content

AI-Presented Training Edition

  • AI-presented training format
  • Organisational learning resource
  • Training, coaching and mentoring
  • Discuss how the problem applies within your organisation
  • Designed for repeatable organisational enablement

Both versions explore the same fundamental question:

How do we make it easier for Data Consumers to find, understand, access and trust the data they need?

Follow Data Dave’s Journey

Dave begins with a business question.

He does not necessarily know the name of the database, where the information is stored or which team owns it. He simply knows the information he needs.

His journey takes him through seven stages:

  1. Search for Data
    Where should Dave look, and how does he know what data exists?
  2. Find a Dataset
    Finding something does not necessarily mean it is the right data.
  3. Find the Data Owner
    Who is accountable for the data, who understands it and who can help?
  4. Gain Approval
    Approval to use the data does not necessarily mean that access has been provisioned.
  5. Request Access
    Dave may still need to follow a separate service desk or access-management process.
  6. Access Provisioned
    Eventually Dave receives access to the underlying source.
  7. Can He Trust It?
    Does the data contain the metadata, definitions, business context, lineage and quality information needed to determine whether it is fit for purpose?

Without effective Data Governance, the result can become:

Search → Find → Approval → Access → Validate → Start Again

Use Data Dave as a Training Conversation

The organisational training edition is designed to do more than provide a video for people to watch.

Use it during workshops, induction, coaching or mentoring sessions and ask your Data Consumers:

  • Where would you search for this data today?
  • How would you know that you had found the right data?
  • How would you identify the Data Owner or Data Steward?
  • How would you request access?
  • Does approval automatically provide access?
  • What information would you need before deciding whether you could trust the data?
  • How much of Data Dave’s journey happens inside your organisation today?

These questions can help turn an abstract discussion about Data Governance into something Data Consumers can relate to directly.

What Good Data Governance Should Enable

A better Data Consumer journey should make it easier for people to:

  • Find the right data
  • Understand what the data means
  • Identify who owns and stewards it
  • Understand how to request appropriate access
  • See relevant business context and metadata
  • Understand Data Quality and known limitations
  • Determine whether the data is suitable for their intended purpose
  • Trust the data they use

This is where capabilities such as an Enterprise Data Catalogue, Data Discovery, Data Ownership, Data Stewardship, metadata, glossary terms, lineage, classifications, Data Quality and controlled access processes work together.

The objective is not simply to build a catalogue.

The objective is to create a better experience for the people who need to use organisational data.

Part 1 – Why Finding the Right Data Is So Hard

Watch the Sasha Korniak Expert-Narrated Edition to learn about the problem and the Data Governance principles behind it.

Or use the AI-Presented Data Consumer Training Edition as part of your organisation’s training, coaching, mentoring and Data Governance enablement.

Data SkyLab Studio

Practical learning covering:

Microsoft Purview • Data Governance • Enterprise Data Catalogues • Data Discovery • Data Products • Metadata • Data Lineage • Data Quality • Trusted Data

Related learning

Learning with Data SkyLab Studio

Follow practical Microsoft Purview and Data Governance learning from Data SkyLab Studio on YouTube.

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