Taking a holistic approach to data requires considering the entire data lifecycle – from gathering, integrating, and organizing data to analyzing and maintaining it. Companies must create a standard for their data that fits their business needs and processes. To determine what those are, start by asking your internal stakeholders questions such as, “Who needs access to the data?” and “What do each of these departments, teams, or leaders need to know? And why?” This helps establish what data is necessary, what can be purged from the system, and how the remaining data should be organized and presented.
