M AT U R I T Y

D ATA
D ATA M A N A G E M E N T

CROSSROADS
Results of an assessment of data management maturity of

9
1
0
2
ASSESSMENT REVIEW

medium-sized companies per data management capability

TA B L E O F
CONTENTS

4 Foreword

5 Abstract

6 Building principles of the maturity scan

9 Summary of results

12 Analysis per data management sub-capability

32 Analysis per data management sub-capability (DMC) dimension

37 Introduction to the “Orange” maturity assessment methodology

40 Conclusion
4 DATA MANAGEMENT MATURITY ASSESSMENT REVIEW

FOREWORD
Data Crossroads prepared a review of the data management (DM) maturity of medium-sized
companies. This review is based on the results of the data management maturity survey
performed by participants on an anonymous and free basis at datacrossroads.nl. The results
were obtained during the period of January–October 2019.
The maturity scan applies the “Orange” data management model developed by Data
Crossroads.1 The general overview of the methodology of maturity assessment can be found
in the “Introduction to the “Orange” maturity assessment methodology” chapter. It is rec-
ommended that you familiarize yourself with the methodology upfront.
The goals of this review are to:
• Demonstrate the current status of data management among medium-sized compa-
nies worldwide
• Assist companies in comparing their performance with peers
• Inform about the available maturity scan that allows assessing your company perfor-
mance effortlessly and quickly
• Share information about the data management model that will ease implementation
of data management at your company.
 DATA MANAGEMENT MATURITY ASSESSMENT REVIEW 5

ABSTRACT
There are a few general conclusions made within this study:
1. 100% of respondents declare having formal data management in place.
2. The analysis shows the distribution of participants per maturity level:
Level 1 (lowest) : 0%
Level 2: 16%
Level 3: 43%
Level 4: 37%
Level 5 (highest): 7%
3. The most developed data management capabilities are a data management frame-
work (data governance) and information systems (data and application) architecture.
4. Less-developed capabilities are the data and information value chain, data model-
ing, and data quality.
5. Companies put forth great effort into developing data management-related docu-
mentation and implementation of tooling. They also have enough resources to move
on with data management.
6. Additional attention is required for the implementation and usage of data-related
business processes and the delivery of formal artifacts.

The detailed description of the maturity scan and analysis of the results can be found in the
main chapters of the review.
6 DATA MANAGEMENT MATURITY ASSESSMENT REVIEW

BUILDING
PRINCIPLES OF
T H E M AT U R I T Y
SCAN
T E R M I N O LO G Y
Data management capability (DM capability) is the ability of a company to safeguard data
and information resources as well as optimize data and information value chains to ensure
the effective conduction of business.
DM capability consists of five sub-capabilities (DM sub-capability) as shown in Figure 1:
• data and information value chain
• data management framework
• data modeling
• information systems architecture
• data quality.
The following dimensions (DMC dimension) enable DM (sub)-capability:
• role
• process
• data
• tools.

D ATA M A N A G E M E N T C A PA B I L I T Y

DATA AND INFORMATION VALUE CHAIN

DM sub-
capabilities
DATA MANAGEMENT INFORMATION
DATA MODELING DATA QUALITY
FRAMEWORK ARCHITECTURE

DMC ROLES PROCESS DATA TOOLS

dimensons

Figure 1. The structure of data management capability.

 DATA MANAGEMENT MATURITY ASSESSMENT REVIEW 7

S T R U C T U R E O F T H E M AT U R I T Y S C A N
The scan consists of 20 questions. Each question has five possible answers. Each answer
corresponds to one of five maturity levels. Each answer is linked to one of the data manage-
ment (DM) sub-capability and one of the data-management capability (DMC) dimensions as
shown in Figure 2. Such a measurement structure allows measuring maturity levels of DM
capability, DM sub-capability, and DMC dimension. Each is measured independently.

DM CAPABILITY 1 2 3 4 5

uncon- in devel-
ANSWER DM SUB-CAPABILITY ad-hoc capable effective
trolled opment

does not in imple- opera-

DMC DIMENSION informal in design
exist mentation tional

Figure 2. The maturity measurement approach and corresponding levels of maturity.

W H AT D O E S T H E M AT U R I T Y S C A N M E A S U R E ?
The maturity scan allows measuring per participant the maturity level of:
• overall DM capability
The maturity of DM capability allows estimating the overall readiness of a company to
safeguard data resources and deliver required information.
• each DM sub-capability
The maturity of DM sub-capabilities demonstrates the level of development of differ-
ent business functions. For example, data quality and data modeling require different
skills and are performed by diverse business functions.
• each DMC dimension
Each DM (sub)-capability requires a set of corresponding roles, processes, tools, de-
liverables, that are named as “DMC dimensions”. The measurement of maturity of
each dimension allows assessing weaknesses in the functioning of a business capa-
bility and focusing on its improvement.
8 DATA MANAGEMENT MATURITY ASSESSMENT REVIEW

M AT U R I T Y L E V E L S
The “Orange” model considers five levels of maturity. The levels of maturity for DM capabili-
ty, DM sub-capability, and DMC dimension are measured independently. Therefore, maturity
levels get independent names. For example, the maturity of DM capability measures the
overall readiness of data management. Therefore, its maturity levels are numbered from
one (lowest) to five (highest).
Maturity levels of DM sub-capability employ widely used names for categories of maturi-
ty: uncontrolled, ad-hoc, in development, capable, effective.
DMC dimension indicates the status of readiness (i.e., presence of a process or a policy):
does not exist, informal, in design, in implementation, operational.
The names of the maturity levels can be reviewed in Figure 2.

P R E S E N TAT I O N O F R E S U LT S
The presentation of results elaborates on the independent measurement of maturity levels
of DM capability, DM sub-capability, and DMC dimension. It allows identifying dependencies
and correlations, for example, between maturity levels of DM capability and DM sub-capa-
bilities.
This review demonstrates the following results:
1. Summary analysis
Summary results present aggregated scores per maturity level of DM capability, DM
sub-capability, and DM capability.
2. Analysis per DM sub-capability
This analysis shows the dependencies between maturity levels of DM capability and
DM sub-capabilities.
3. Analysis per DMC dimension
This analysis demonstrates the dependencies between maturity levels of DM capabil-
ity and the aggregated results per DMC dimension.

Figure 1. The structure of data management capability

 DATA MANAGEMENT MATURITY ASSESSMENT REVIEW 9

1 SUMMARY OF
R E S U LT S
1. 1 M AT U R I T Y L E V E L O F D ATA M A N A G E M E N T
( D M ) C A PA B I L I T Y O F PA R T I C I PA N T S
Each participant admitted the existence of data management (DM) capability within their
company. 16% of participants claimed that DM capability still was at the ad-hoc stage. 77%
of companies are at the design or implementation stage. 7% of participants enjoy the fully
operational data management function.
The graphical representation of results can be seen in Figure 3.

Figure 3. Distribution of DM capability maturity levels among participants.

1. 2 T H E AV E R A G E M AT U R I T Y O F E A C H D ATA
M A N A G E M E N T ( D M ) S U B - C A PA B I L I T Y
As demonstrated in Figure 4, all data management (DM) sub-capabilities are fairly well de-
veloped compared to the targeted fifth level.
10 DATA MANAGEMENT MATURITY ASSESSMENT REVIEW

Figure 4. Average actual vs targeted maturity level per DM sub-capability.

More granular analysis demonstrates the advanced development of data management

framework and information systems architecture compared to the rest of sub-capabilities
as shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5. Average actual maturity level per DM sub-capability.

 DATA MANAGEMENT MATURITY ASSESSMENT REVIEW 11

1. 3 T H E AV E R A G E M AT U R I T Y O F E A C H D ATA
M A N A G E M E N T S U B - C A PA B I L I T Y ( D M C ) D I -
MENSION.
DMC dimensions “role” and “tools” represent organizational roles and tools, as well as re-
sources required for operational activities of data management. The results presented in
Figure 6 show that companies have developed organization roles and use tools to support
data management. They also possess enough resources like budgets to move on with data
management.
Yet, practical implementation of data management expressed in terms of operational
processes (“process”) and formal deliverables (“data”) stays behind.

Figure 6. Average actual maturity level per DMC dimension.

12 DATA MANAGEMENT MATURITY ASSESSMENT REVIEW

2 A N A LY S I S P E R
D M S U B - C A PA B I L I T Y
2. 1 D ATA A N D I N F O R M AT I O N VA L U E C H A I N
Data and information value chain is a set of actions to transform raw data into meaningful
information.
The set of indicators measure the data and information value chain maturity. These indi-
cators demonstrate the ability to:
Indicator 1: document data and information chains (data governance tool)
Indicator 2: find and include new data
Indicator 3: follow and explain data transformation
Indicator 4: coordinate the activities of different stakeholders.

2.1.1 DISTRIBUTION OF MATURITY LEVELS

The graphical representation of the distribution of maturity levels of data and information
value chain can be viewed in Figure 7.

Figure 7. Distribution of maturity levels of the data and information value chain.
 DATA MANAGEMENT MATURITY ASSESSMENT REVIEW 13

The situation with the maturity of data and information value chain looks less optimistic
that the overall maturity of data management (DM) capability shown in Figure 3. A lot of
companies experience difficulties with data availability and delivery.
42% of companies can hardly manage the situation with data transformation. They have
data and information value chain at the levels “uncontrolled” and “ad-hoc”. 32% of compa-
nies are at the stage of development. Only 22% can manage the value chain. Their maturity
levels are “capable” and “effective”.

2.1.2 RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN MATURITY LEVELS OF DM CAPA-

BILITY AND DATA AND INFORMATION VALUE CHAIN
Below in Figure 8, the distribution of maturity of data and information value chain per DM
capability maturity level is presented.
The higher maturity level of DM capability, the higher the maturity level of the data and
information value chain. For example, the major part of Level 4 companies have reached
three highest maturity levels of data and information value chain.

Figure 8. Maturity of data and information value chain per DM capability maturity level.

2.1.3. RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN MATURITY LEVELS OF DM CAPA-

BILITY AND INDICATORS
Distribution of the maturity level per each indicator mentioned above can be seen in Figures
9,10,11,12 correspondingly.
14 DATA MANAGEMENT MATURITY ASSESSMENT REVIEW

Figure 9. Maturity levels of tools to document data and information value chain.

Figure 10. Maturity levels of the ability to find and include new data.
 DATA MANAGEMENT MATURITY ASSESSMENT REVIEW 15

Figure 11: Maturity levels with the ability to follow and explain data transformation.

Figure 12: Maturity levels with the ability to coordinate activities of data management stakeholders.
16 DATA MANAGEMENT MATURITY ASSESSMENT REVIEW

2. 2 D ATA M A N A G E M E N T F R A M E W O R K
The data management framework is a business capability that delivers the structure in
which all other data management sub-capabilities operate2. Rules (strategy, policy, pro-
cess, etc.) and roles are the core components of the framework.
The set of indicators measure the data management framework maturity. These indica-
tors demonstrate the ability to have:
Indicator 5: a data management function in place
Indicator 6: an information/data policy and -processes in place
Indicator 7: a dedicated budget for data management initiatives
Indicator 8: awareness and support of the top management.

2.2.1 DISTRIBUTION OF MATURITY LEVELS

The graphical representation of the distribution of average maturity of the data manage-
ment framework per maturity level can be viewed in Figure 13.

Figure 13: The distribution of maturity levels of the ”data management framework”.

Surprisingly enough, 10% of respondents have no data management framework in place.

The analysis of the general maturity of data management (DM) capability did not rank any
company with such a low level of maturity.
32% of companies either can hardly manage the situation or manage it on the ad-hoc
 DATA MANAGEMENT MATURITY ASSESSMENT REVIEW 17

level. 33% of companies are only in the “development” stage. Good enough that 35% have
this capability in place. Statuses “capable” and “effective” indicate it.

2.2.2. R ELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN MATURITY LEVELS OF DM CAPA-

BILITY AND DATA MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK
Below in Figure 14 you can see the distribution of maturity of data management framework
per DM capability maturity level.

Figure 14: Maturity of data management framework per DM capability maturity level.

There are some warring results regarding the “uncontrolled” level of maturity. Even some
Level 3 companies have no data management framework in place. The positive result is that
a lot of Level 4 companies have reached the highest “effective” status of the data manage-
ment framework.

2.2.3. RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN MATURITY LEVELS OF DM CAPA-

BILITY AND INDICATORS

The distribution of the maturity level per each indicator mentioned above can be seen in
Figures 15,16,17,18 correspondingly.
18 DATA MANAGEMENT MATURITY ASSESSMENT REVIEW

Figure 15: Maturity levels of the presence of data management function.

Figure 16: Maturity levels of the presence of an information/data policy and processes.
 DATA MANAGEMENT MATURITY ASSESSMENT REVIEW 19

Figure 17: Maturity levels of the presence of a budget for data management initiatives.

Figure 18: Maturity levels of the presence of awareness and support of top management.
20 DATA MANAGEMENT MATURITY ASSESSMENT REVIEW

2. 3 D ATA M O D E L I N G
Data modeling is a business capability that delivers data models ‘[…] a) to define and ana-
lyze data requirements, b) design logical and physical structures that support these require-
ments, and c) define business and technical meta-data’3.
The set of indicators measure data modeling maturity. These indicators demonstrate the
presence of:
Indicator 9: a business glossary
Indicator 10: data models
Indicator 11: documented information and data requirements
Indicator 12: specified critical data.

2.3.1 DISTRIBUTION OF MATURITY LEVELS

The graphical representation of the average maturity of the data modeling can be viewed in
Figure 19.

Figure 19: The distribution of maturity levels of data modeling.

49% of all respondents have either no such sub-capability or perform it on an “ad-hoc” ba-
sis. 30% of respondents have data modeling “in development”. Only by 21% of companies
this data management (DM) sub-capability operates.
 DATA MANAGEMENT MATURITY ASSESSMENT REVIEW 21

2.3.2. RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN MATURITY LEVELS OF DM CAPA-

BILITY AND DATA MODELING
Below in Figure 20 you can see the distribution of maturity of data modeling per data man-
agement (DM) capability maturity level.

Figure 20: Maturity of data modeling per DM capability maturity level.

The dependency between the maturity level of data modeling and DM capability maturity
level is logical. For example, the “uncontrolled” level of the sub-capability is the highest
by Level 2 companies. Then it drops by Level 3 and Level 4. Level 4 and Level 5 companies
claimed to achieve the highest “effective” level of data modeling.

2.3.3. RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN MATURITY LEVELS OF DM CAPA-

BILITY AND INDICATORS
The distribution of the maturity level per each indicator mentioned above can be seen in
Figures 21,22,23,24 correspondingly.
22 DATA MANAGEMENT MATURITY ASSESSMENT REVIEW

Figure 21: Maturity levels of the presence of a business glossary.

Figure 22: Maturity levels of the presence of data models.

 DATA MANAGEMENT MATURITY ASSESSMENT REVIEW 23

Figure 23: Maturity levels of the presence of documented data and information requirements.

Figure 24: Maturity levels of the presence of specified critical data.

24 DATA MANAGEMENT MATURITY ASSESSMENT REVIEW

2. 4 I N F O R M AT I O N S Y S T E M S A R C H I T E C T U R E
Information systems architecture in the context of the “Orange” model is a business capabil-
ity that ensures deliverables of data and application architecture required for designing data
and information value chain.
The set of indicators measure the information systems architecture. These indicators
demonstrate the presence of:
Indicator 13: optimized reporting practices
Indicator 14: optimized application architecture
Indicator 15: master and reference data management
Indicator 16: enterprise architecture function.

2.4.1 DISTRIBUTION OF MATURITY LEVELS

The graphical representation of the average maturity of the data modeling can be viewed in
Figure 25.

Figure 25: Distribution of maturity levels of the information systems architecture.

39% of all respondents have either no such a data management (DM) sub-capability or apply
it on an “ad-hoc” basis. 51% of respondents have data modeling either “in development” or
at “capable” level. 10% of companies enjoy having this DM sub-capability on board having
the level “effective”. The results for the information systems architecture look better than
for data modeling. These figures reflect the real situation. A lot of medium-sized companies
 DATA MANAGEMENT MATURITY ASSESSMENT REVIEW 25

established the data and application architecture functions.

2.4.2. R ELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN MATURITY LEVELS OF DM CAPA-

BILITY AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS ARCHITECTURE
Below in Figure 26, you can see the distribution of maturity of information systems architec-
ture per DM capability maturity level.

Figure 26: Maturity of information systems architecture per DM capability maturity level.

The dependency between the maturity level of information systems architecture and corre-
sponding DM capability maturity levels follows the general trend: the higher maturity level
of DM capability the higher the level of the sub-capability. There are two notable facts. First,
a lot of Level 4 companies have this sub-capability at the “in development” status. Second,
a lot of Level 2 companies still do not have this capability at all.

2.4.3. R ELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN MATURITY LEVELS OF DM CAPA-

BILITY AND INDICATORS
The distribution of the maturity level per each indicator mentioned above can be seen in
Figures 27,28,29,30 correspondingly.
26 DATA MANAGEMENT MATURITY ASSESSMENT REVIEW

Figure 27: Maturity levels of the presence of optimized reporting practices.

Figure 28: Maturity levels of the presence of optimized application architecture.

 DATA MANAGEMENT MATURITY ASSESSMENT REVIEW 27

Figure 29: Maturity levels of the presence of master and reference data management.

Figure 30: Maturity levels of the presence of enterprise architecture function.

28 DATA MANAGEMENT MATURITY ASSESSMENT REVIEW

2. 5 D ATA Q U A L I T Y
Data quality is a business capability that enables the delivery of data and information of the
required quality.
The set of indicators measure data quality maturity. These indicators demonstrate the
presence of:
Indicator 17: Information for decision-making
Indicator 18: On-time data and information delivery
Indicator 19: Data at the required level of quality
Indicator 20: Operational data quality roles and processes.

2.5.1 DISTRIBUTION OF MATURITY LEVELS

The graphical representation of the average maturity of the data quality data management
(DM) sub-capability can be viewed in Figure 31.

Figure 31: Distribution of maturity levels of data quality.

Notably enough, the data quality has the highest percentage of the “uncontrolled” level
amongst other sub-capabilities. The rate reaches 18%. The same observation applies to the
“effective” level. This is the lowest percentage among all other sub-capabilities. 48% of par-
ticipants reached the third and fourth levels of maturity. These results prove the conclusion
made earlier: a lot of companies have set up a data management framework and have re-
sources, but their data management function is not fully operational yet.
 DATA MANAGEMENT MATURITY ASSESSMENT REVIEW 29

2.5.2. RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN MATURITY LEVELS OF DM CAPA-

BILITY AND DATA QUALITY
Below in Figure 32, you can see the distribution of maturity of data quality per data manage-
ment (DM) capability maturity level.

Figure 32: Maturity of data quality per DM capability maturity level.

The dependencies between DM capabilities levels and maturity of data quality prove that
development of data quality stands behind the development of other sub-capabilities. For
example, Level 3 and Level 4 companies still demonstrate “uncontrolled” level of data qual-
ity sub-capability.

2.5.3. RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN MATURITY LEVELS OF DM CAPA-

BILITY AND INDICATORS
The distribution of the maturity level per each indicator mentioned above can be seen in
Figures 33, 34, 35, and 36, correspondingly.
30 DATA MANAGEMENT MATURITY ASSESSMENT REVIEW

Figure 33: Maturity levels of the availability of information for decision-making.

Figure 34: Maturity levels of the availability of on-time data and information delivery.
 DATA MANAGEMENT MATURITY ASSESSMENT REVIEW 31

Figure 35: Maturity levels of the availability of data at required level of quality.

Figure 36: Maturity levels of the availability of data quality roles and processes.
32 DATA MANAGEMENT MATURITY ASSESSMENT REVIEW

3 A N A LY S I S P E R
D ATA M A N A G E M E N T
S U B - C A PA B I L I T Y
(DMC) DIMENSION
Data management capability and sub-capabilities are comprised of several dimensions.
The Open Group defines these dimensions as the following: “A combination of roles, pro-
cesses, information and tools enable a business capability.”4
In this review, the results of DMC dimensions have been aggregated to the data manage-
ment (DM) capability level.

3. 1 R O L E S
Roles describe the participation of people in business operations. Roles can represent busi-
ness units, functional jobs, etc.
The status of maturity levels of roles dimensions can be seen in Figure 37.

Figure 37: Distribution of maturity levels of the dimension roles.

Roles share commonalities with the data management framework sub-capability. That is
why there is a strong correlation between their results. The situation when 8% of respon-
dents don’t have any formal data management roles and 26% have informal roles demon-
strates the potential area for improvement.
 DATA MANAGEMENT MATURITY ASSESSMENT REVIEW 33

Only 28% of respondents claim to be either “in implementation” or having the roles in the
“operational” phase.
The dependency between roles and DM capability maturities can be seen in Figure 38.

Figure 38: Maturity of roles dimension per DM capability maturity level.

The distribution shows interesting results. For example, the percentage of “operational” lev-
el is similar between Level 4 and Level 5. The maturity level “in design” can be found in each
maturity group, from Level 2 to Level 5.

3. 2 P R O C E S S
“Process” signifies a data management-related business process at different levels of ab-
straction.
The status of maturity levels of the process dimension can be seen in Figure 39.

Figure 39: Distribution of maturity levels of the process dimension.

34 DATA MANAGEMENT MATURITY ASSESSMENT REVIEW

The analysis shows that in total, 47% of companies don’t have formal processes in place.
32% are busy with design and only 21% is either currently implementing or already has
operational processes in place.
In Figure 40, the relationship between process and data management (DM) capability
maturity can be seen.

Figure 40: Maturity of the process dimension per DM capability maturity level.

There is an interesting observation that a high percentage of Level 4 companies still have
processes in the “informal” design phase.

3 .3 D ATA
Data represents the “business information and knowledge required or consumed by the
business capability.”5 In the context of this review, data stands for formal deliverables/arti-

Figure 41: The distribution of maturity levels of the data dimension.

 DATA MANAGEMENT MATURITY ASSESSMENT REVIEW 35

facts of each data management (DM) sub-capability. Policies and processes are examples
of such deliverables.
The status of maturity levels of the data dimension can be seen in Figure 41.
Notably, 44% of respondents declared that they don’t deliver any artifacts or do it in the
“informal” manner.
32% of companies focus on the design of the formal deliverables. Only 24% of compa-
nies demonstrate that they either implement or already have formal deliverables.
In Figure 42 below, you can see the distribution of maturity of the data dimension per
DM capability maturity level.

Figure 42: Maturity of the data dimension per DM capability maturity level.

The results show a rather poor situation regarding formal deliverables. For example, the
level “does not exist” appears in response to Level 2, Level 3, Level 4, and even Level 5.

3 .4 T O O L S
Tools “[…] include information technology systems and applications; physical, tangible
assets […]; intangible assets […]”.6
The status of maturity levels of the tools dimension can be seen in Figure 43.
In this analysis, tools describe IT applications and other assets. The distribution of ma-
turity levels has a very positive trend in comparison with data and process dimensions.
The detailed analysis of dependencies between the maturity of tools and data manage-
ment (DM) capability can be viewed in Figure 44.
There are some interesting observations obtained from these dependencies. For exam-
ple, Level 2 companies have an equal percentage of “does not exist” and “informal” levels.
At the same time, some Level 2 companies already reached the “in design” level. Notably
enough, some Level 3 and Level 4 companies do not use tools in their operations at all.
36 DATA MANAGEMENT MATURITY ASSESSMENT REVIEW

Figure 43: The distribution of maturity levels of the tools dimension.

Figure 44: Maturity of the tools dimension per DM capability maturity level.
 DATA MANAGEMENT MATURITY ASSESSMENT REVIEW 37

INTRODUCTION TO
THE “ORANGE”
M AT U R I T Y A S S E S S-
MENT METHODOLOGY
The maturity model has been built based on the “Orange” model of data management.7 The
“Orange” model considers data management as a high-level business capability that safe-
guards company data and information resources and optimizes data and information value
chains in order to ensure the effective conduction of business.
Data management delivers its value propositions to key stakeholders through the data
and value chains. The data and information value chain is a set of actions that transform raw
data into meaningful information. A set of data management sub-capabilities supports the
operations of data and information value chains. These sub-capabilities are business capa-
bilities at a more granular level.
The set of sub-capabilities varies depending on the definition of data management adapt-
ed by a company. Three sets of capabilities are commonly recognized by medium-sized
companies:
• Core data management sub-capabilities performed by data management profession-
als
• Supporting IT capabilities performed by IT professionals
• Other supporting capabilities.
The graphical representation of the “Orange” model can be seen in Figure 45.
The maturity model built based on the “Orange” model includes a maturity assessment of
the data and information value chain as well as core data management capabilities:
• A data management framework is a business capability that delivers the structure in
which all other data management sub-capabilities operate. Rules (strategy, policy,
process, etc.) and roles are the core components of the framework.
• Data modeling is a business capability that delivers data models “[…] a) to define
and analyze data requirements, b) design logical and physical structures that support
these requirements, and c) define business and technical meta-data.”8
• Information systems architecture is a business capability that combines a specific set
of deliverables of data and application architecture required for designing data and
the information value chain.
• Data quality is a business capability that enables the delivery of data and information
of the required quality.
38 DATA MANAGEMENT MATURITY ASSESSMENT REVIEW

DATA AND INFORMATION VALUE CHAIN

CORE DATA MANAGEMENT CAPABILITIES

DATA MANAGEMENT INFORMATION

DATA MODELING DATA QUALITY
FRAMEWORK ARCHITECTURE

SUPPORTING IT CAPABILITIES

APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY DATA LIFECYCLE INFRASTRUCTURE

ARCHITECTURE ARCHITECTURE MANAGEMENT MANAGEMENT

OTHER SUPPORTING CAPABILITIES

PROJECT CHANGE
SECURITY AUDIT
MANAGEMENT MANAGEMENT

BUSINESS BUSINESS PROCESS

ARCHITECTURE MANAGEMENT

Figure 45: The core concept of the “Orange” data management model.

In the context of this model, “a business capability is a particular ability or capacity that
a business may possess or exchange to achieve a specific purpose or outcome.”9 Several
dimensions enable a business capability. The Open Group defines these dimensions as the
following: “A combination of roles, processes, information and tools enable a business ca-
pability.”10 In Figure 46, you can see the graphical representation of business capability di-
mensions.

ROLES

DATA
MANAGEMENT
TOOLS PROCESS
(SUB-)
CAPABILITY

DATA

Figure 46: The (sub-) data management capability structure.

 DATA MANAGEMENT MATURITY ASSESSMENT REVIEW 39

Roles describe the participation of people in business operations. Roles can represent busi-
ness units, functional jobs, etc.
Process means a business process at different levels of abstraction.
Data “[…] represents the business information and knowledge required or consumed by
the business capability.”11
Tools “[…] include information technology systems and applications; physical, tangible
assets […]; intangible assets […].”12

The maturity model includes a maturity assessment of each of the four dimensions of the
business capability.
Different capabilities typically require the same roles or tools to perform operations. That
is why this review delivers, per each dimension, a results aggregated from all components
of the “Orange” model.

The maturity model considers five levels of maturity. The overview of the maturity levels can
be seen in Figure 2.
40 DATA MANAGEMENT MATURITY ASSESSMENT REVIEW

CONCLUSION
This analytical review has aimed to discover the current level of data management maturity
in medium-sized companies globally. In this chapter, the key conclusions and insights into
future development are presented.
1. Data management (DM) is a business capability that safeguards data and infor-
mation resources and enables decision-making by optimizing the transforma-
tion of raw data into meaningful information.
Data management has become a formal business function, within the majority of
companies that participated in this research. Managing data is an unavoidable part
of business operations in any company. The fact, that the function has been formally
established demonstrates that companies recognize data and information as one of
their key resources.
2. Data management is a set of multiple disciplines.
The analysis has shown that not all of these disciplines are equally developed.
Data governance (data management framework) and information architecture have
shown a higher level of maturity than data and information value chain, data model-
ing, and data quality.
3. Data management framework (data governance) is a solid foundation and one of
the success factors for any data management initiative.
The majority of companies have established a data governance function in place.
The existence of data governance is demonstrated by the implementation of data
management related roles, policies, and processes. A lot of companies have either
already designed or are in the process of designing a set of required roles and pro-
cesses. The situation with the development of policies looks less optimistic because
major companies are still in the development phase. Not all companies enjoy sustain-
able budgeting of their DM initiatives. Building awareness and gaining support of top
management is still on agenda of the majority of respondents.
DEVELOPMENT TIPS:
To strengthen data management framework companies should focus on:
• improving the collaboration between different data stakeholders;
• expanding awareness of data management goals and tasks among business
stakeholders;
• embedding data management into regular business operations by implement-
ing policies, standards, processes, and procedures;
• making available data management artifacts by creating centralized repositories
and implementing data management tools.
4. Data and information value chain sub-capability has an exceptional role in the
delivery of the business value of data management.
The knowledge of the data transformation is one of the means to comply with le-
 DATA MANAGEMENT MATURITY ASSESSMENT REVIEW 41

gislative and audit requirements. The proper documentation of the data and infor-
mation value chain means knowledge of all transformations that data undergoes
from its origin to a destination.
Not many companies can easily find the required data. They also do not have
enough knowledge and documentation of the key data transformation chains. The
lack of proper tooling is one of the reasons for that.
DEVELOPMENT TIPS:
To bring this sub-capability to a higher maturity level, a company should put addi-
tional effort into:
• alignment of the processes of documenting of information requirements and
finding relevant data sources on the most granular levels;
• investigation and documentation of application and data flows;
• application of data lineage methodology for the documentation of the critical
data chains.
5. Data modeling and information architecture are essential tools to optimize the
usage of data and information resources.
Many respondents confirmed having a formal enterprise architecture function
in place. A lot of companies currently pay attention to the optimization of reporting
practices and architecture landscape. But many companies still do not have imple-
mented processes to specify information requirements and transform them into data
requirements. Business glossaries, data models, and data catalogues are crucial
means for identification of these requirements. Companies still have not put much
effort into the development of these means.
DEVELOPMENT TIPS:
The progress in the following areas will increase the maturity of data modeling and
information architecture:
• improvement of processes of aligning information needs and corresponding
data requirements by developing data models;
• classification of data and specification of critical data (elements) to prioritize
data management deliverables.
6. The quality of data remains one of the key challenges for many companies.
Qualitative data is one of the key success factors in improving decision-making.
Therefore, the management of data quality remains among top data management
priorities. Despite this fact, the analysis has shown that many companies still experi-
ence lots of challenges in this area.
Requirements for delivery of information for decision-making have not been met as
expected.
The required level of data quality has not been reached. The positive side of it, is that
a lot of companies are in the process of the establishing a data quality governance
framework.
DEVELOPMENT TIPS:
To improve the situation, companies should focus on:
42 DATA MANAGEMENT MATURITY ASSESSMENT REVIEW

• specification of data quality requirements in order to effectively classify, priori-

tize, and manage the resolution of data quality issues;
• implementation of tools and techniques for data profiling;
• design and implementation of data quality monitoring.
7. Effective data management requires a balanced structure of supporting process-
es, people, tools, and deliverables.
The common trend is that the majority of companies have developed required
processes and possess enough resources to move on with data management initia-
tives. Implementing these processes into practice is still something that needs to be
worked on.
 DATA MANAGEMENT MATURITY ASSESSMENT REVIEW 43

REFERENCES

1. Steenbeek, Irina. The “Orange” Model of Data Management”, First Edition, 2019.
2. Steenbeek, Irina. The “Orange” Model of Data Management”, First Edition, 2019.
3. DAMA International. The DAMA Dictionary of Data Management, Second Edition: Technics
Publications, 2011, p.81
4. The Open Group. Open Group Guide. Business Capabilities. Prepared by the Open Group
Architecture Forum Business Architecture Work Stream. The Open Group, March 2016, p.3.
5. The Open Group. Open Group Guide. Business Capabilities. Prepared by the Open Group
Architecture Forum Business Architecture Work Stream. The Open Group, March 2016, p.4.
6. The Open Group. Open Group Guide. Business Capabilities. Prepared by the Open Group
Architecture Forum Business Architecture Work Stream. The Open Group, March 2016, p.4.
7. Steenbeek, Irina. The “Orange” Model of Data Management”, First Edition, 2019.
8. DAMA International. The DAMA Dictionary of Data Management, Second Edition: Technics
Publications, 2011, p.81
9. The Open Group. Open Group Guide. Business Capabilities. Prepared by the Open Group
Architecture Forum Business Architecture Work Stream. The Open Group, March 2016, p.2.
10. The Open Group. Open Group Guide. Business Capabilities. Prepared by the Open Group
Architecture Forum Business Architecture Work Stream. The Open Group, March 2016, p.3.
11. The Open Group. Open Group Guide. Business Capabilities. Prepared by the Open Group
Architecture Forum Business Architecture Work Stream. The Open Group, March 2016, p.4.
12. The Open Group. Open Group Guide. Business Capabilities. Prepared by the Open Group
Architecture Forum Business Architecture Work Stream. The Open Group, March 2016, p.4.
D ATA M A N A G E M E N T M AT U R I T Y
ASSESSMENT REVIEW

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