Data Governance - The Data Brains

Consequences Schmonsequences

Listen to this article: Do you listen to the Rock Bottom Data Feed? If you don’t, you should. It’s a serious show about data that doesn’t take itself too seriously; more of a radio program than a podcast. My co-host, John Ladley, in his monologue for the recent episode “More Fuss About Tony Read more

By Mark, 8 hoursApril 22, 2026 ago

Artificial Intelligence Blog Data Governance Data Products Data Quality Information Management Life

100 Articles and Counting

Listen to this article: Just over two and a half years ago, I was among those who were invited by my former employer to explore free agency and/or retirement. I knew that I still had more to say and more to share. The Reservoir of Ideas has provided that forum Read more

By Mark, 2 weeksApril 8, 2026 ago

Data Governance Data Quality Data Trust

When Data Quality Means Life or Death

Listen to this article: A 2020 report published by DAMA in the Netherlands found more than 60 different data quality dimensions. Traditionally, most practitioners recognize the “Core 8”: accuracy, validity, completeness, integrity, uniqueness, timeliness, reasonability, and consistency. The one I want to focus on here is timeliness. Actually, just a portion Read more

By Mark, 1 monthMarch 18, 2026 ago

Data Governance Data Products Data Quality

Delivering Data Products Means Delivering … What?

Listen to this article: The “product” metaphor has been useful when making the point that there is more to delivering a table, file, report, dashboard, or summary than just the data itself. At this point, the definition of Data Product is pretty clearly and consistently understood. You can read more Read more

By Mark, 2 monthsFebruary 18, 2026 ago

Data Culture Data Governance Data Quality Leadership

New Year’s Resolutions Succeed with Structure, Not Willpower

Listen to this article: Welcome back to the Reservoir of Ideas. It’s February now, so I guess that means that most of our New Year’s resolutions have gone by the wayside. Were “Become Data-Driven” or “Understand Our Data” on your list? Many years ago, I attended a Tom Peters presentation Read more

By Mark, 3 monthsFebruary 4, 2026 ago

Data Governance Data Products Data Quality Data Trust Project Management

Data Products Must Solve Business Problems

Listen to this article: OK. You’ve convinced management to support a Data Products initiative. Maybe you want to do AI and not be one of the 95% that fail or underperform. Maybe you have an existing analytical environment that’s like the house at the end of the street that hasn’t Read more

By Mark, 6 monthsOctober 29, 2025 ago

Data Governance Data Products Data Quality Data Trust

Jargon Alert: Data Trust

Listen to this article: The vocabulary generator has been working overtime. Just last week I talked about Data Contracts. Here’s another: Data Trust. I predict that through 2028, 80% of S&P 1200 organizations will become curious about the meaning of Data Trust. Why? Because among The Gartner 100 Data, Analytics and Read more

By Mark, 6 monthsOctober 22, 2025 ago

Data Governance Data Products

Jargon Alert: Data Contract

Listen to this article: Here we go again. We seem to have an irresistible reflex to prepend “data” to every noun, verb, and adjective in the dictionary. Here’s another: Data Contract. My first thought, when I heard about Data Contracts, was that we’re creating a new term to describe something that Read more

By Mark, 6 monthsOctober 15, 2025 ago

Data Governance Leadership

Toss the Spoonful of Sugar

Listen to this article: Do or do not. There is no try. – Yoda I’ve seen dozens, no hundreds of Data Governance articles, books, classes, videos, presentations and conferences. You’d think that we’d have it right by now, but we seem to simply be perpetuating what isn’t working. Enough excuses. Read more

By Mark, 7 monthsOctober 1, 2025 ago

Artificial Intelligence Data Governance Data Quality Leadership

Data Quality, Executive Attention, and Executive Interest

Listen to this article: When it comes to data, there are two types of companies: those that are aware of their data quality issues and those that aren’t looking. Does your CEO know how bad your data quality is? Hopefully not, because that means that you haven’t had a negative Read more

By Mark, 7 monthsSeptember 24, 2025 ago