In terms of understanding the content, structured data is more straightforward than unstructured. For example, a Social Security number in a relational database field is more easily identified than the same number in free text, where the format may be different or the number may not be specifically categorized. “Classification with OneTrust is done with both traditional analytics and AI,” commented Rege, “with some pattern matching and rules-based determinations.”
OneTrust’s Trust Intelligence Platform manages governance activities across the board, including privacy and data discovery; governance, risk, and compliance (GRC); ethics; and environmental social and governance (ESG). Rege was quick to point out, though, that governance is not just technology. “Governance, including management of privacy, is a program,” he asserted. “Our technology is part of the overall vision, but achieving that vision also requires the right personnel, processes, and senior leadership commitment and focus on trust.”
Establishing trust turns out to be a good investment. It is essential in persuading people to share more information, which, in turn, leads to the ability to personalize offerings of goods and services. “Effective personalization is a competitive advantage,” Rege said. “However, people will not share if they don’t trust the company to respect their privacy. Good governance programs help departments manage personal information responsibly,” Rege observed. “The companies that win will be the ones that can collaborate, while respecting individuals’ privacy.”
SGN is a large gas distribution network serving Scotland and southern England, providing service to about 6 million residences and businesses. The U.K.’s digitalization strategy for the energy industry, published in 2021, focuses on the use of data and technology to attain decarbonization. The goal is to achieve net zero by 2050. In order to have the data needed to support this goal and to meet its other business objectives, SGN needed a comprehensive data governance solution to make its data readily accessible and meet government requirements.
SGN selected Talend for this digital transformation based on its comprehensive data governance capabilities, including its ability to integrate multiple repositories and applications. One of the first steps was to build a data catalog that reflected its existing information assets so that SGN would be prepared for current and future regulations in terms of delivering reliable and interoperable data. Talend’s solutions integrated well with SGN’s applications and worked in the “cloud-first” environment that reflects SGN’s strategic approach.
Part of Talend’s role at SGN was also to give greater visibility to enterprise data as an asset and highlight the critical role of data in knowledge sharing and meeting business objectives. The use of Talend helps employees in different roles interact with the data, both as consumers and contributors. Talend’s flexibility enables SGN to be future-ready as internal information needs to evolve as the regulatory environment changes.
“Two factors have driven the increased need to focus on data governance,” said Davide Pelosi, manager of solutions engineering at Talend. “One is the advent of big data. When data comes from many sources, in different formats, and is processed for different purposes, companies can lose knowledge and control. The other factor is regulation of personal data, which has become much more nuanced.”