Feel free to leave comments about it in the comments section, and if you know of any others please post in the comments section as well.

• Why MDM needs to be deconstructed into discrete functional areas

• Why understanding business requirements means understanding functional requirements

• Why successful MDM depends on a solid data governance framework

The webcast is Today at 2PM EST. To register, click here.

I also wanted to point out a service that I’ve been working with lately on some new data management projects. Medical Billing Service – Medical Electronic Data-Processing is an industry leader in medical billing services. They state that, “Your practice will benefit from our experienced billing staff and IT experts who utilize top-tier technology to increase billing efficiency”. I’ve found their work to be incredibly efficient, and they have fully embraced the data governance and mdm methodologies.

This is an un-sponsored post.

So here is how it will work. I’m going to drop names in a hat and pull out the winner on Friday, September 5th at 5pm EST. You can get your name on multiple slips of paper, as follows:

1. Subscribe to the blog. Its easy, and you’ll get your name on one slip of paper. If you have already subscribed, don’t worry, you’ll automatically be entered for this.

2. Signup for this webinar. Its free, you won’t be spammed, and you’ll learn a heck-of-a-lot in an hour long audio webinar about Data Governance. You’ll get your name on 3 slips of paper for this. All you have to do is send me an email and I’ll verify that your email address has registered for the webinar.

3. Write a post for this blog. You’ll get your name on 5 slips of paper this way and its super easy! Just write about 300 words on a tip, suggestion, or something you have learned while working or researching Data Governance and email it over to me. I just ask you not steal your content from anywhere else. You can write something up that will help the whole community in probably less than five minutes, and get a bunch of entries. In addition, you can really start to build a name for yourself in this field.

There you have it, easy right? In the next 10 minutes you could have 9 entries into the contest and a good shot at winning a great book. First things first, subscribe if you haven’t already. Next, register for the webinar. Finally, write a little tip or observation that has been on your mind and shoot it over to me. I know you can do it.

Data Governance and the Holy Grail
This is a nice article on how Data Governance is helping the business better connect with IT, and vise-versa. The ‘holy grail’ in this case is the idea that the business and IT and working so closely together that the business needs are always met by the IT solutions. Last I checked we hadn’t found the holy grail, but Data Governance has certainly helped build a better bridge between the two groups.

Data Governance Training Webinar
Take advantage of this one because its free… Just click on that link, then click “Award-Winning UMB Bank Success Secret: High Quality Customer Data” at the top. I listened to it again the other day and I am really impressed by what UMB was able to do in just a short amount of time. There are lots of great tips and advice that you can apply to your organization today.

The Importance of Being Encrypted
This article is focused on encryption, but mentions in the last paragraph the importance of a Data Governance plan. In my experience, Compliance has always been responsible for the data security policy (in conjunction with the Data Management team) but this article seems to state that it should be the responsibility of the Data Governance council. I tend to disagree, but its good to know what thoughts are out there.

DataFlux Event
If you are interested in an upcoming DataFlux event, you’ll want to check out this link. Its only about 2 weeks away, but if you are close to Orlando, FL you should definitely consider heading over there.


Data Governance Opinion article at ComputerWorld
This article deals with storage and compliance issues, the current state of data management, and what a long term solution might be.

Its only an hour, and judging from the success that UMB Bank has experienced and the awards they have won, its certain to be worth your time. Register here.

You can go straight to the webinar registration area by clicking here or by pointing your browser to http://www.trilliumsoftware.com/home/events/web-events.aspx