For users without a high level of technical fluency or expertise, SSDG simplifies the process of accessing and drawing meaningful insights from an organisation’s data. The agility of business users to self-serve their data needs has organizational benefits, as less time and money is spent liaising between departments and greater trust in the data governance process can be nurtured; SDG enables business users to independently access the data they need without compromising on the existing processes and platforms in place for ensuring responsible data access. By taking a holistic approach to data governance, data stewards are given greater autonomy to work with the data they need, when they need it.

Generally, a “data fabric” of own-built technologies alongside off-the-shelf solutions will be required to deliver true Self-Service Data Governance. Much of the work will need to be role- and user-focused to empower business teams to play an active role in enterprise data governance in this manner.