Title: Democratizing Data in Enterprises - A Reference Model for Enterprise Data Catalogs
Begin: Wednesday, 26. of May 2021 (4:00 PM)
via Zoom Meeting
Abstract:
As data evolves into an important asset, companies are looking to meet the increasing demand for data inside the organization. In this context, data democratization can play a critical role in making data more broadly available to employees. However, research has not yet addressed the means and, specifically, the platforms that support data democratization. Our study addresses this gap by focusing on enterprise data catalogs (EDCs) as an emerging platform that serves as a data inventory and helps technical and business professionals find, access, and use data. Although the idea is intuitive and intriguing, EDCs lack a sound academic conceptualization, and their scope and role in future IT landscapes have yet to be fully understood. Following a design science research approach, this study develops an EDC reference model that outlines the key components of three architecture views: organization, data documentation, and function. We find that EDCs extend beyond metadata management concepts (e.g., data dictionaries and business glossaries) and provide rich functional capabilities (e.g., data discovery, data governance) to facilitate data democratization. From an academic perspective, our study provides a grounded definition of EDCs and outlines their key constituents as a cornerstone of the emerging enterprise data and analytics platforms. Practitioners can use the reference model to scope, assess, and select suitable EDC solutions and guide their implementation.