Background

Our client, one of the largest US ports, was preparing for a vital multi-year ERP transformation journey with Workday at its core. Acknowledging the pivotal role of data and recognizing gaps in their existing data management capabilities, the CIO sought to ground this transformation initiative with a formal data governance function – imperative for aligning business objectives with data requirements and enabling the adoption of Workday through data fidelity and trust.

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Choosing Premier International

Premier stood out with a unique value proposition that demonstrated expertise not only in understanding the intricate data requirements of a Workday implementation but also in presenting a strategic vision for data enablement that will drive implementation efforts to success. This included foundational data management disciplines for data governance and data quality to not only support the ERP go-live but also are required to maintain data integrity in the future. This, coupled with a proven track record in navigating organizations through complex data transformation initiatives, instilled confidence in Port leadership, affirming our suitability as the ideal partner.

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The Process

Premier delivered a multi-phased tactical plan to develop and execute a strategy to formalize a data governance discipline at the Port. The approach tailored and launched a data governance framework aligned with the business operating model. Recognizing that data governance was a novel concept at the Port, an educational component was incorporated to facilitate change adoption and operationalize data governance concepts into an ongoing data management discipline. This was accomplished by working through use cases with the council centered on four targeted end-to-end business processes. Following the launch, Premier transitioned data governance facilitation to the Port’s appointed data governance leader and provided them guidance to sustain the momentum required to operationalize the council.

 

The objectives of each phase were:

Phase 1: Strategic Assessment

·     Obtain a current state understanding through stake holder engagement

·     Envision a desired state for data governance tailored to the Port’s operating model

·     Translate gaps into prioritized capability-building initiatives

·     Define a strategic roadmap of initiatives to implement data governance

Phase 2: Data Governance Launch

·     Charter the launch of an Interim Data Governance Council

·     Educate concepts for data governance and data quality frameworks

·     Develop data governance rigor by working through targeted use cases

Phase 3: Operationalize Data Governance

·     Sustain data governance momentum from the initial launch

·     Transition facilitation to the Port’s data governance leader

·     Compile formal data governance standards and policies for critical information

 

Results

By delivering on this initiative in less than six months, the outcomes have been promising as the Port approached its Workday implementation.

  • Provided a shared understanding of the Port’s current data management capabilities and desired vision for data governance
  • Launched a centralized data governance operating model comprising data owners and subject matter experts that’s Business-driven and IT-supported
  • Established a cross-functional Data Governance Council promoting collaboration in formalizing data requirements, standards, and policies across the Port’s applications, processes, and reports
  • Educated data governance and data quality concepts into practice through the execution of targeted use cases that generated data governance artifacts
  • Achieved consensus with an initial inventory of critical data elements and their supporting definitions, standards, and stewardship accountabilities, providing clarity and eliminating redundant efforts from future Workday data migration and requirements tasks

In conclusion, through strategic implementation of data governance, our client not only embraced the intrinsic value of their data but also secured a resilient foundation for their Workday transformation, ensuring a more rapid and cohesive transition tailored to their long-term goals.