Data management is the process of ingesting, storing, organizing and maintaining the data created and collected by an organization. Effective data management is a crucial piece of deploying the IT systems that run business applications and provide analytical information to help drive operational decision-making and strategic planning by corporate executives, business managers and other end users.

The data management process includes a combination of different functions that collectively aim to make sure that the data in corporate systems is accurate, available and accessible. Most of the required work is done by IT and data management teams, but business users typically also participate in some parts of the process to ensure that the data meets their needs and to get them on board with policies governing its use.

This comprehensive guide to data management further explains what it is and provides insight on the individual disciplines it includes, best practices for managing data, challenges that organizations face and the business benefits of a successful data management strategy. You’ll also find an overview of data management tools and techniques. Click through the hyperlinks on the page to read about data management trends and get expert advice on managing corporate data.