❗️The Problem

You can’t fix data if you don’t know:

Who owns it
Who changes it
Who approves it
Who is accountable when it’s wrong

Most companies ignore this — until they face a data breach, a failed migration, or a compliance audit.

Then they scramble to find "who was responsible".

By then, it’s too late.

🧠 What DAMA Says About Data Governance

Governance is not about fixing data.
It’s about making sure data is managed on purpose, not by accident.

Think of it like an operating system:
It doesn’t run the programs — it makes sure everything runs in the right way, with the right permissions, in the right place.

Core Functions of Data Governance (per DAMA):

Function	Meaning
Policy Management	Define how data is handled — what’s allowed, what’s not
Decision Rights	Who makes calls about structure, quality, ownership
Stewardship Oversight	Making sure the “data janitors” have tools and authority
Compliance & Risk	Ensure laws, contracts, and security rules are respected
Issue Escalation	Not just fixing — but having a way to escalate and resolve

🔧 What This Looks Like in SAP MDG

SAP MDG supports governance — but doesn’t create it for you.
You need to design governance first. Then use MDG to enforce it.

DAMA Element	SAP MDG Component
Decision Rights	Role design, CR Types, Authorizations
Policy Enforcement	BRF+ rules, UI configurations
Stewardship	Role-based CR processing, dashboards
Data Ownership	Defined approvers, change relevance
Monitoring	Process analytics, change history

But here's the trap:
If you build workflows without assigning true ownership and decision logic — you’re automating a vacuum.

🧩 How to Know If You Have Real Governance

Can you name the owner of each data domain?
Do stewards have the power to block bad data?
Are business rules documented — and enforced in the system?
Do people trust the process — or bypass it?

If not — you have a system, not governance.

💬 Bottom Line

Data Governance is the OS.
MDG is just the app.

You can’t build trust in data until you build accountability around it.

DAMA - SAP MDG: Concept #2