Digital Clean-Up Day

We are seeing the term “Information Governance” being incorporated on organisations roadmaps, strategy documents and frameworks, but understanding the components that make up Information Governance (IG) and successfully implementing them can be a challenge. Organisations struggle to implement the full value and therefore all the potential benefits that IG has to offer. IG is a holistic discipline which determines every aspect of managing, using, storing, sharing, and disposing of data and information.

It could be argued that the management and integration of IG within organisations is higher than ever before, especially with the development of AI, the exponential growth of information across all industries, and the increasing need for easily accessible, high quality data. Consequently, there is no better time to review, update and embed a comprehensive IG framework which effectively considers the varying elements of IG.

There are two elements that we are seeing time and again as either overlooked, ineffectively managed, unsuccessfully implemented/utilised, or having not undergone continuous monitoring, these include:

• Redundant, Obsolete or Trivial (ROT): The Global Databerg Report details that 85% of organisations data is ROT, which negatively impacts the ability to mitigate security risks, make sound decisions, improve customer experience and support operational efficiencies.
  • Remediating ROT should be prioritised, some areas to consider include having a comprehensive data classification scheme, utilising automated cleansing tools to perform regular audits and establishing a robust data retention policy.
• Retention: organisations tend to have varying degrees of retention schedule, often they are outdated or there are various siloed retention schedules across departments that are not continuously monitored, thus, are inconsistent, inefficient and as a result lead to compliance gaps. Effective training, guidance and management of retention is another obstacle which limits the usability of retention policies.
  • Having clear retention policies that apply equally to all forms of information and data which is implemented effectively will support the timely deletion of data at the end of its lifecycle, prevent unnecessary data accumulation, and reduce potential security vulnerabilities.

A robust data retention policy is one of the most fundamental and impactful measures an organisation can put in place to ensure that their data is current, relevant and accurate. Combining a retention policy with an integrated tool that manages ROT can support an organisation with:

• Adhering to current legislation and regulations compliance requirements
• Enhancing reputation, accountability and public trust
• Supporting environmental, ethical and operational goals
• Reducing cost associated with storing data
• Improving the preservation, accessibility and usability of information
• Promoting the transparency, explainability and interoperability of information
• Mitigating data risks, breaches and cyber attacks
• Progressing corporate and personal ESG goals
• Optimising data value and reduces costs

For further information on how to get started with defining your Information Governance strategy, please download the “Managing risks and unlocking potential of data through Information Governance” Whitepaper.