The tools you think you need vs. the ones you actually do

This is the second post in the Terms and Conditions Applied series. In the first post, we explored how data governance often becomes the weak link that is quietly slowing down your data initiatives. Whether it’s treated as an afterthought, poorly prioritised, or simply misunderstood, the end result is usually the same: data efforts stalling or failing to reach their potential.

But recognising that weak link is only the start. Laying solid foundations with good process and clear ownership is critical. And it’s a theme we’ll return to throughout this series. What’s equally important is understanding that tooling alone won’t solve the problem. Even the best tools will struggle if governance isn’t planned and implemented with the right framework, principles, and roadmap.

Deploying tools aimed at metadata management and master data management (often referred to as MDM) simultaneously can be challenging. While complementary, they serve different purposes and require careful planning to integrate effectively. The key is designing a roadmap that recognises the strengths of each tool and positions them properly within your governance framework.

The common misconception

The problem isn’t merely a misunderstanding of what specific tools do. It’s the broader assumption that one tool can address all the key pillars of governance. Metadata management tools like Microsoft Purview, for instance, are powerful for visibility, lineage tracking, more recently data quality, and providing a centralised view of data assets across an organisation’s estate.

Similarly, Unity Catalog, for organisations using Databricks, complements tools like Purview by providing additional visibility and control over data assets. It plays an important role within a broader governance strategy that considers the needs of the organisation as a whole. These tools are essential for understanding how data is being used, enhancing compliance, and maintaining visibility across complex ecosystems.

However, these tools are not designed to provide true MDM capabilities. Enterprise-level data governance requires a combination of tools, processes, and practices working together. Tools like Purview and Unity Catalog excel at:

• Metadata scanning & classification – Automatically discovering, labelling, and classifying data assets.
• Data lineage tracking – Mapping how data moves through systems, applications, and processes.
• Cataloguing & discovery – Providing a centralised, searchable view of data assets.

Where MDM fits

MDM plays a distinct but complementary role to metadata management. While metadata management tools offer robust capabilities, they do not provide the key functions of an MDM solution. Those capabilities include:

• ‘Golden Record’ creation – Establishing a single, authoritative version of critical business data.
• Deduplication & data matching – Identifying and eliminating redundant data entries (although data quality features of Purview will highlight duplicate records).
• Data mastering – Continuously managing and improving data quality across systems.

A successful governance framework requires balancing these capabilities. Metadata management provides the visibility and discovery needed to understand your data estate. MDM provides the consistency and quality necessary to make that data usable and reliable.

The ecosystem approach

It’s important to recognise that metadata management, MDM tools, and data governance frameworks aren’t competing solutions. They are complementary components of a broader governance strategy. At Telefónica Tech, we see value in using these tools together to deliver visibility, consistency, and usability are all addressed.

Purview is becoming a more intrinsic element of our data framework as more customers recognise the value it can bring. However, effective governance requires a cohesive ecosystem of tools, Purview, CluedIn, Unity Catalog, and others, all working within a strategic framework. Its ability to provide visibility, lineage tracking, and centralised discovery is critical to effective governance. The same can be said for Unity Catalog in our framework deployments that utilise Databricks.

For MDM, we’ve chosen to partner with CluedIn for its integration capabilities that complement our data platform framework. However, the strength of our approach lies in integrating the right tools within a cohesive governance strategy, rather than relying on any single solution.

Deployed alongside metadata management tools like Purview and Unity Catalog (where applicable), this approach ensures data governance is both comprehensive and adaptable across varied data environments.

Getting tooling right

The key takeaway here is not to view metadata management tools as one-size-fits-all solutions. To achieve true data governance maturity, organisations need to think holistically.

Without robust MDM capabilities, efforts to classify and catalogue data will only go so far. Conversely, MDM without strong metadata management leaves organisations flying blind – building golden records without understanding how data moves or who has access.

Establishing a clear governance roadmap helps to identify when and how to introduce different technologies. By understanding your maturity level and governance requirements, you can pinpoint the right trigger points for tools like Purview and CluedIn. This roadmap also helps make sure that prerequisites such as process definition, ownership, and foundational metadata management, are in place before deploying advanced solutions.

The next post will dive into how shifting governance from a process-driven approach to a product-oriented one can unlock greater value and adoption across the organisation.

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