Metadata is information about information. In other words, information is used to describe the data contained in a web page, document, or file. Metadata can also be thought of as a brief explanation or summary of the data.
A simple example of Metadata for a document could include information such as the author, file size, the date the document was created, and keywords to describe the document. A music file’s Metadata may include the artist’s name, the album’s title, and its date. Metadata for computer files can be stored within the file itself or elsewhere, as in the case of some EPUB book files, which store Metadata in an associated ANNOT file.
Metadata is behind-the-scenes information used everywhere, in every industry, and in various ways. It is widely used in computer systems, social media, websites, software, music services, and online retailing. Metadata can be created manually by selecting what should be included, or it can be generated automatically based on the data.
Importance Of Metadata
Metadata is necessary because it essentially works to process and recognize certain types of crucial information that will be used later for various marketing and organizational purposes. As previously stated, Metadata aids in marketing and sales, security, search engine rankings, document organization, and much more!
Furthermore, making affiliations and connections between things that everyday clients, customers, and users interact with regularly, such as an ERP or CRM system, adds value to Metadata. As a result, Metadata will categorize and track the entire advanced lifecycle of essential business data, including the procedures, methodology, and clients that influence various aspects of the business. Finally, this assists us in providing an accurate review and “audit trail” for our companies and industries alike. Securing and organizing an audit trail like this is just one more reason to use Metadata in your professional and business life.
Metadata Management In a Data Catalog Platform
You’re effectively creating an encyclopedia of your data assets by managing your Metadata. Metadata management is a subset of data governance, a subset of data governance.
The primary reasons for focusing on Metadata management are the same as the reasons for implementing data governance strategies: to improve data security, data quality, and overall transparency.
How It Improves Data Security?
- Metadata directly connects usage restrictions and licensing to data.
- Identifies the data owner and maintainer(s) for clear role identification.
- Consolidates and codifies data associated with a dataset so that it is not lost.
How It Improves Data Quality?
- Creating and implementing a company-wide ontology
- It is now easier to resolve entities and link records.
- Insight into how the has changed over time
How It Improves Transparency?
- Improves discoverability within and across organizations and teams
- Records usage, access, and updates in an auditable manner.
- Information is shared without revealing sensitive information.
Instead of viewing Metadata as additional attributes or pieces of information that exist outside of the data, sophisticated Metadata management focuses on connecting this rich information to the dataset itself in a simple way to access, enforce, and manage.
Conclusion
Metadata management is a critical component of good data governance and one of the essential components of an effective data strategy. We understand that each organization has different needs, so a good Metadata solution should be strong and enforceable while also being flexible enough to manage data uniquely for each company.
ThinkData Works enables our clients to build data-driven solutions on solid, secure foundations by providing comprehensive Metadata management.
Do you believe your company requires a data catalog to find, understand, and use trusted data to drive business outcomes? Contact ONPASSIVE to learn more about Metadata.
