ABSTRACT: What does a successful data governance team do once it’s properly governed all enterprise data assets? It seeks to tidy up office cubicles.

April 1, 2022 - What does a successful data governance team do once it’s properly governed all enterprise data assets? It seeks to tidy up office cubicles. 

The five-person data governance team at FastFriendly’s, a discount retailer, has won national awards for its data governance prowess. But faced with ultra-clean and trustworthy data, it realized it needed to expand its mission to keep pace with corporate culture. 

“Our CEO is neat-nick who gets anxious when he sees how slovenly some employees keep their cubicle spaces,” says Les Loth, head of data management and governance. “That gave us an opening.” 

The team is developing policies and standards to ensure personal photos are properly framed, manilla folders are properly labeled, stickies are replaced with chalkboards, and Dilbert cartoons removed. 

“We’ve got a great plan,” says Loth. “But change management will be key to get employees on board with it.”

See prior article in this month's special issue

See the next article in this month’s special issue