Utility Data Governance

UTILITY DATA
GOVERNANCE
OUR SOLUTIONS
Today, more often than ever, utilities rely on digital
tools to help them make operational decisions, meet
regulatory requirements, plan capital spending,
and respond to incidents. The key to all of these
applications is accurate, complete, and timely data.
The introduction of new systems, such as AMI/
MDM, distribution SCADA, and field data collection
automation, plus the availability of public data,
including weather, public imagery, demographics,
and population change projections, has resulted in
an explosion of the quantity of data used by utilities.
While many of these tools can help utilities make
better operational decisions; inaccurate, incomplete,
and outdated information can lead to false
conclusions, incompatible decisions, and costly
errors.
Data silos often lead to discrepant data values being
used for the same piece of data throughout the
organization. A lack of data standards and unified
processes will typically lead to misunderstanding
and miscommunication between different groups.
Most often, these groups won’t see the disconnect
and proceed as if everything is mutually understood.
This leads to costly mistakes that could result in
regulatory non-compliance, business inefficiencies,
or threaten safety. At a minimum, these mistakes will
cost time and manpower, which translates to money
in terms of direct cost and lost opportunity. One of
the most effective solutions to resolve these data
problems is Data Governance.
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HOW DATA GOVERNANCE CAN MAKE A
DIFFERENCE
Data Governance is the process of effectively
managing, utilizing, and securing data. It establishes
internal policies and processes to protect the integrity,
availability, and usability of data within the organization.
This type of system generally includes a governing
body, a defined set of standards, and a plan to
implement and maintain the new data procedures
throughout the organization.
With well-executed data governance, organizations can
avoid the headaches that go along with inconsistent
data, because it standardizes definitions and increases
accuracy across diverse platforms and teams. More
importantly, a well-organized data governance system
will increase security and ensure compliance with
internal and external data regulations while providing
decision-makers with reliable information.
Utilities have vast amounts of data, and, with new
technologies, the volume of data coming in will continue
to increase. From data collection in the field to entry
through a GIS and running network analysis, often
utility data is used and created by multiple teams with
different data standards due to an emphasis on each
team’s interests. This can result in poor data quality that
affects the overall understanding of the utility network
and assets. Accurate, good-quality data is essential for
data analysis, and proper governance paired with a well
architected data system strategy helps organizations
keep data organized, secure, and usable.
CHALLENGES IMPLEMENTING SOUND
DATA GOVERNANCE
Knowing data governance is crucial, why is it so
hard for utilities to implement it effectively? There are
many common issues organizations encounter when
implementing a data governance system. They range
from the culture of the organization to data security,
efficiency, and cost. Below are some of the problems
utilities may face when employing a data governance
system.
Cultural resistance:
Changing protocols and technology can be stressful
for end-users in an organization. If the employees
collecting, utilizing, and analyzing the data do not
see the value of data management, they may be less
likely to create good quality data. It is essential that all
stakeholders within the organization understand the
importance of quality data governance in order to gain
their support in data governance initiatives.
Data ownership:
Lack of agreement or understanding who is responsible
for what data can lead to gaps or overlaps of data
ownership. This inevitably leads to data having different
values in different groups within the organization.
Good data governance defines a system of record
and designates an owner for each category of data.
It also establishes the process for disseminating data
throughout the organization so that everyone is working
with accurate and current data.
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Data standards and data quality:
Without data governance, there are inconsistent
workflow practices between the various groups, teams,
and projects that generate, maintain, and use data.
There are often many different data sources, including
corporate acquisitions, which bring historical data of
varying quality, and other departments and regions
with different processes and values. All of these factors
lead to inconsistent data quality. Data governance is
the solution to creating data and workflow standards
for all teams and projects, ensuring that data quality is
consistent throughout the organization and over time.
Efficiency and cost:
Implementing data governance may have short-term
costs in both personnel and expenditures. Time is taken
to hold meetings to gain agreement on standards and
implementation processes. Consultants and technology
may be employed to ensure a high-quality end result,
but the ROI is well worth it in the long-term, as new
data standards and practices increase organizational
efficiency and the accuracy and currency of the data.
Security:
IT security is a critical issue for all organizations
today. Security is necessary to prevent attacks on
the corporate data structure and leaks of sensitive
information. Good data governance will help enhance
corporate data security by putting controls in place that
specify where data comes from and where it is allowed
to go while maintaining visibility to support business
needs. Data governance is not a replacement for IT
security, but it will make security easier to manage and
control.
HOW EN DATA SOLUTIONS CAN HELP
EN Data Solutions offers a wide range of services to
support our clients in all stages of a data governance
implementation or review. During the early stages of
a data governance project, EN Data Solutions can
facilitate the collaboration of all relevant stakeholders.
Our teams have extensive experience drafting policies
to ensure that the requirements and concerns of
all stakeholders are considered in setting a data
governance policy. We can also coordinate workshops
to ensure that critical stakeholders are not overlooked
and that each group has the opportunity to contribute to
evolving standards.
At its core, ENTRUST Solutions Group is an
engineering company that not only brings experience in
data governance to our clients’ projects but we also
bring operational expertise relevant to utility companies.
We utilize industry best practices developed from our
experience with utilities across the country, and we also
understand utility operations and where exceptions
need to be allowed for reasons of expediency. Our
specialists make sure that processes are put in place
that allow exceptions without sacrificing quality.
Some data governance standards require that the utility
adopt changes to long-standing practices. We can help
create, review, and test new workflows within the utility
as part of this process. EN Data Solutions can ease you
through this process to help smooth the transition to
new procedures and standards for all stakeholders.
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SERVICES EN DATA SOLUTIONS OFFERS
FOR DATA GOVERNANCE
Data governance needs analysis:
EN Data Solutions can assess our clients’ current data
state and identify ongoing and potential problems that
data governance can address. This service involves
quantifying the value of data governance to their
organization and includes a cost/benefit analysis. Our
team works with clients to identify both immediate and
long-term benefits of data governance that will deliver
measurable value to their organization.
Facilitating workshops:
EN Data Solutions will work with clients to identify
all stakeholders in a data governance initiative and
facilitate workshops to ensure that the needs and
concerns of all affected parties are considered when
developing an effective data governance program,
including policies and procedures. Stakeholders include
groups who create, manage, and use the data under
consideration.
Develop data governance recommendations:
EN Data Solutions will recommend data governance
policies and processes that incorporate industry
best practices and are specific to each client.
A data governance program should not just be
an implementation of a textbook recipe for data
governance. The particular circumstances of each
client will direct what policies and procedures will be
successful. Our experience with a wide variety of
clients in the same industry and working with various
circumstances helps us understand what will be
effective for individual clients.
Drafting policies supporting corporate data
governance practices:
Our specialists at EN Data Solutions have extensive
experience drafting standards, procedures, and
documentation for our clients. We can also assist
in drafting the policies you need to support the
implementation of a data governance program.
Reviewing and testing new or changed
workflows:
A new data governance program will necessitate
implementing some new processes and changing some
existing processes. These workflows will need to be
tested for bottlenecks and unforeseen consequences.
EN Data Solutions helps our clients set up a testing
program to evaluate the proposed process changes
and resolve any identified problems.
Implementing data governance programs:
After a new data governance program has been
developed, documented, and tested, the program
needs to be implemented to achieve the desired
results. EN Data Solutions can assist in this process,
drawing on our experience with other clients to help
you avoid costly mistakes during the implementation.
We help ensure that the implementation is expedient
and effective, so benefits are received as quickly and
completely as possible.
Managing change:
For any new program to be successful, change has
to be managed effectively. Changes need to be
communicated to all relevant stakeholders as it is
critical that everyone involved understands and values
the new processes and standards. EN Data Solutions
can help you achieve this. We understand who needs
to be included in change management and what
messages will successfully gain their buy-in.
Assessing results:
Once a new data governance program has been
successfully implemented, it is essential to assess the
program’s results to ensure that the desired benefits
have been achieved. If the program isn’t delivering
the planned value, the program must be reassessed
to determine what changes need to be made to bring
the desired results. EN Data Solutions’ extensive
experience in this area is crucial in order to improve
underperforming programs quickly and efficiently.
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