Data Governance in Salesforce

Use Case Highlights

Secure & Simplify: Explore essential tools that enhance data quality, strengthen security, and streamline data management within Salesforce.
Effortless Workflow: Automate repetitive tasks and simplify data access to boost overall efficiency.
Data-Driven Insights: Leverage clean, organized data to gain valuable insights that fuel smarter business decisions.

Introduction

Salesforce is a powerful platform for building strong customer relationships. However, to maximize the value of your data, a strategic approach is essential. Unmanaged data can lead to inconsistencies, security vulnerabilities, and compliance issues, making it difficult to rely on Salesforce data for strategic decision-making.

Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!

This data governance insight looks into data governance for Salesforce and highlights top tools that integrate seamlessly with the platform. While these tools are not exclusively built for Salesforce, they offer powerful features that enhance the accuracy, security, and regulatory compliance of your data.

Implementing a data governance strategy with the right tools unlocks the hidden potential of your Salesforce data. Imagine making decisions based on reliable information, streamlining workflows, and maximizing data value—all possible with clean, trustworthy data at your fingertips.

Disclaimer: The specific third-party security solutions mentioned in this insight are for informational purposes only and do not constitute endorsements by Tectonic.

6 Data Governance Tools for Salesforce Users

Collibra: Centralize your data governance strategy with a platform for business glossary management, data lineage tracking, and access controls. Collibra ensures data quality, understands data flows, and enforces data security policies across Salesforce and other enterprise applications.
Dataedo: Bridge the gap between business users and technical teams with Dataedo’s collaborative data catalog. This tool enhances data literacy by documenting data definitions, relationships, and quality rules in an accessible format, improving collaboration and reducing errors.
Alation: Empower users for self-service analytics with Alation’s data discovery and intelligence platform. It automatically creates a searchable catalog of business terms, data assets, and lineage, enabling users to find relevant data quickly and make confident, data-driven decisions.
OneTrust Data Governance: Utilize AI-driven data discovery and classification, integrated with a data catalog and governance policy management. OneTrust automatically categorizes, classifies, and tags data, linking it to a business glossary and applying governance policies based on data classification.
Talend Data Fabric: Integrate data quality, governance, and application integration. Talend features automated quality checks, metadata management, and a data inventory to assess trustworthiness through its Trust Score. Its stewardship capabilities include workflows, project tracking, and monitoring.
Informatica Axon Data Governance: This AI-powered tool assists with data discovery, quality assessment, and communication for data stewards. It enables curated data marketplaces, develops a common data dictionary, and links governance policies to relevant data.

Understanding the Importance of Data Governance in Salesforce

Salesforce, a cornerstone for managing customer relationships, thrives on a rich data repository. However, unmanaged data growth can lead to inconsistencies, security vulnerabilities, and compliance hurdles, hindering the data’s potential to drive strategic decisions.

Data governance goes beyond data management. It establishes principles and practices to ensure your Salesforce data is:

Reliable: Accurate, consistent, and trustworthy.
Secure: Protected from unauthorized access and breaches.
Compliant: Adheres to relevant data privacy regulations.

Why is data governance crucial for Salesforce?

Confident Decision-Making: Trustworthy data fuels reliable reports, helps identify trends, and empowers informed decisions that drive business success.
Reduced Risks: Robust security protocols and access controls mitigate data breaches and non-compliance risks, avoiding costly repercussions.
Enhanced Transparency and Trust: Clear guidelines and access controls foster a culture of data responsibility, building trust with customers.
Scalability for Growth: As your organization grows and Salesforce data becomes more complex, a data governance framework provides a scalable, sustainable data environment.

Data governance transforms data from a potential liability into a strategic asset, driving informed decisions, fostering trust, and empowering your organization to achieve its goals.

Key Challenges in Salesforce Data Governance

Implementing robust data governance within Salesforce presents challenges:

Defining Clear Roles and Responsibilities: Assigning ownership and accountability for data assets can be challenging, especially in large organizations. Data governance requires clearly defined roles like data stewards and data quality monitors, ensuring everyone understands their responsibilities.
Establishing and Enforcing Policies: Developing well-defined data governance policies is crucial, but consistent enforcement across the organization can be difficult. This requires training, communication strategies, and monitoring to ensure adherence to guidelines.
Measuring the Value of Data Governance: Demonstrating ROI for data governance initiatives can be challenging. While the focus is often on long-term benefits like improved data quality and reduced compliance risks, quantifying these can be difficult. Establishing clear metrics is essential for tracking progress and demonstrating value.
Maintaining Governance Over Time: Data governance is an ongoing process. As business needs and data landscapes evolve, policies and procedures must remain relevant. Regular reviews and updates are crucial to maintaining an effective data governance framework.

Evaluating Data Governance Tools for Salesforce

Choosing the right data governance tool for Salesforce requires careful evaluation:

Functionality:
- Data Lineage: Can the tool track data history and flow? Transparency is crucial for understanding data usage and ensuring accuracy.
- Data Cataloging: Does the tool offer a comprehensive data catalog for Salesforce objects and fields? This facilitates easy data discovery and understanding.
- Data Stewardship: Does the tool promote data ownership and accountability? Assigning data stewards ensures quality and consistency.
Integration:
- Interoperability: Does the tool integrate seamlessly with other data management and business intelligence systems? This ensures unified data analysis across platforms.
- Scalability: Can the tool grow with your organization’s data needs? Scalability ensures a sustainable governance strategy.
Additional Considerations:
- Cost: Finding a cost-effective solution that meets your needs is crucial.
- User Experience: Prioritize intuitive interfaces and user-friendly features for smooth adoption.
- Customer Reviews: Research industry feedback on potential tools for insights into reliability and effectiveness.

Comparing Top Data Governance Solutions for Salesforce

When comparing top data governance solutions, assess factors like features, pricing, scalability, and customer reviews. A comparison table can offer a quick overview of key features and differences between solutions.

Product	Key Features	Pricing
Collibra	Centralized platform, business glossary management, data lineage tracking, access controls	Starting at $170,000/year
Dataedo	Collaborative data catalog, data documentation, quality rules, improved data literacy	Starting at $18,000/year
Alation	Data discovery and intelligence platform, searchable data catalog, business terms & data lineage	Starting at $60,000/year
OneTrust Data Governance	AI-driven discovery & classification, integrated catalog, governance policy management	Contact for pricing
Talend Data Fabric	Data quality checks, automated metadata management, data inventory & Trust Score, stewardship workflows	Starting at $12,000/year
Informatica Axon	AI-powered discovery & quality assessment, stewardship communication, curated marketplaces, common dictionary	Contact for pricing

Data Governance in Salesforce

This table provides a snapshot of key features and pricing, helping organizations make informed decisions based on their needs and budget. Reach out to Tectonic if you need assistance.

Tectonic’s Remarks

This insight has provided the knowledge to harness the true potential of your Salesforce data. Data governance is no longer a distant concept but a powerful practice that every organization must embrace.

Success lies in selecting the right data governance solution. Consider your specific needs—whether it’s robust data lineage tracking offered by tools like Collibra and Talend, user-friendly interfaces from Dataedo and Alation, or cost-effectiveness.

Several tools explored in this insight also offer strong security features to safeguard your customer data. Tools like Informatica Axon can assist with data discovery and quality assessment, empowering data stewards.

By embracing data governance and leveraging the right tools, you can transform Salesforce data from a raw resource into a strategic asset. This newfound data clarity fuels informed decision-making, fosters customer trust, and drives your organization toward achieving its goals.