Data Modeling is Data Governance

This is the title of an article and webinar by Robert S. Seiner. It's designed to ruffle feathers, but Seiner backs up the assertion.  For me, the clincher is the negative argument Seiner mentions – this is: “Ask any organization that does not model their data if their data is being governed. The sure answer will be 'no'.”

Data modeling is about defining data, and data governance is about managing data. If you haven't defined it, you can't manage it.  Note that data modeling doesn't automatically mean defining data from scratch. Organizations which use industry models as the basis for their own data models are exercising the same kind of discipline – while saving time and money.

So, if you want to be picky, I guess you might want to say: Data modeling is essential for data governance. But it doesn't make for such a great slogan.   TDAN