My name is Rick Sorenson and I have worked in many roles related to data for the last 30+ years. Many of those roles have been in the IT organization so I certainly understand technologies related to data, but my focus today is not on technology. In fact, my focus is on processes that are technology agnostic. I have recently written a book titled A Logical Approach to Data Management: 3 Questions. My purpose in writing it was to help others find a way toward getting a grip on their data.

Some of my more recent roles included data governance lead, assisting with the legal and litigation aspects of reliable data, and working with compliance to regulations and laws such as GDPR and CPPA. Using some fundamental data management practices can help prepare you for the unknown regulations yet to come.

My work in the various data roles as well as my background in behavior management helped me to see that many of the issues and challenges related to data were not due to technology, but were much more fundamental (and even obvious) in their nature. I truly believe that implementation of some fundamental principles will make a very big difference to you and to your data.

This consulting service has the same intention as the book, to help others get a grip on their data by showing them what they may or may not be doing and proving some methods to assist with changing behavior. The methods are easy, the questions are easy, the principles are obvious, however, the implementation is quite difficult because it is change. I am here to provide support in starting or improving you journey toward real data management.

Too often data management is done for the sake of being able to claim that someone is doing data management rather than for the real benefit that it provides. My practice does not support that concept of data management in name only. Doing so only undermines the real efforts that may come along because people will either have evidence of how data management has failed (when it really wasn’t data management) or they will see through the false dedication to managing data. When it comes down to it, most everyone wants better data, wants to be able to find what they need, and wants to be able to have confidence in what it truly means. Instead people are left with using whatever data is the easiest to access and assuming that they know what it means.

It is very interesting when you get a group of very knowledgeable people together in a room that all believe they know what some particular data means only to find out that there are 4 different opinions of reality, which of course is not reality. There are ways to solve these problems and anyone that says they have a magic bullet or a tool that will solve your problems is not being honest. Of course some tools can help support your processes and goals but your process comes first. A tool is not a process and should not define the process needs of your organization.

The reason that I share these types of things is so that you have a better understanding of my perspective on data management. My engagements will always align with my principles but can be extremely adaptable to your situation. Let’s talk about what a short engagement might look like for you.