If you’ve been around data governance (DG) for more than a few years, you’ve seen the narrative evolve. Around seven years ago, Kelle O’Neal, FSFP’s Founder and CEO, talked about DG in terms of getting started, proving value early, and building just enough structure to get buy-in from stakeholders. Her perspective reflected early governance trends.
DG's old focus was on defining roles, establishing shared language and making governance something to embrace, not endure. Fast-forward to today, where we frame governance more as a driver of innovation, AI enablement and operational agility.
In a recent DATAVERSITY article, 5 Key Benefits of Data Governance, Kelle emphasizes DG’s role as “the mechanism that creates trust in the data,” enabling organizations to innovate faster, make better decisions, and embed governance into existing processes instead of bolting it on as a bureaucratic afterthought.
And here’s the through-line for governance, then and now: the foundations we built years ago are still the bedrock of success today. The language has expanded, the stakes have risen and the benefits have multiplied. But the basics still matter.
Then: Data Governance as Minimum Viable State (MVS)
In her 2018 article on FSFP's blog, A Minimum Viable State and Why Information Management Programs Need It, Kelle described DG success as a measurable early win — not an “ideal state” that might take years to reach.
The goal was to:
- Start small and prove value quickly.
- Get the right people in the room to address data challenges.
- Identify critical data elements and agree on their definitions.
- Create a business glossary, even if just Excel-based, to promote consistency.
This approach was practical, non-intimidating and designed to overcome the classic governance barrier: trying to do everything at once. The message was clear — focus on what matters now, earn trust and expand over time.
Today’s data governance is less about proving its worth — and more about showing how it powers AI, agility and competitive advantage.
Now: Data Governance as an Innovation Engine
Kelle O'Neal is the founder and CEO of FSFP. DATAVERSITY interviewed her recently for its 5 Key Benefits of Data Governance article.
In the 2025 DATAVERSITY article, DG's focus shifts from “getting started” to maximizing the strategic benefits of governance. Kelle still emphasizes trust, but now it’s trust in service of innovation.
The five benefits outlined — improved data quality, data ethics, better communication, data-driven decision-making and operational efficiency — show how governance has matured from a compliance-driven initiative to an enabler of competitive advantage.
Notably, Kelle’s advice still includes starting small and showing value quickly, echoing her MVS guidance from years ago and aligning with current governance trends that prioritize agility and innovation.
But the governance conversation now also includes:
- AI-readiness – governance as the “best path to trusted analytics and AI”
- Operational agility – the ability to pivot faster in response to market changes
- Cross-functional empowerment – clear accountability that frees people to innovate
- Ethics as strategy – standardized processes that ensure both compliance and responsible AI
Then: Building the Case for Data Governance
In FSFP's older DG articles and white papers, much of the focus was on making the business case — for example, in tool selection, stakeholder alignment and role definition. This meant showing leadership that DG wasn’t just a cost center but a business enabler.
Governance conversations centered on:
- Regulatory pressures as a motivator
- Reducing risks from inconsistent definitions and poor-quality data
- Embedding governance in day-to-day processes so it didn’t become a stand-alone burden
Modern governance is an innovation engine, delivering trusted data that fuels faster decisions, smarter analytics and responsible AI.
Now: Demonstrating the Tangible Impact of Data Governance
Today’s governance narrative assumes the business case has been made — and moves quickly to showing measurable results.
DATAVERSITY's article cites examples across industries:
- Feeding America standardizing definitions for better policy conversations
- Delta Dental Michigan extending governance to AI use cases
- USTRANSCOM advancing decision-making with a governance-backed business glossary
- Becks Hybrids reducing turnaround times for data queries after architecture upgrades
These aren’t just governance “wins” — they’re strategic outcomes tied directly to innovation, efficiency and competitive positioning.
The Common Thread: Start Small, Build Trust, Deliver Value
Even as the conversation shifts toward AI, agility and advanced analytics, the fundamentals from 2016–2018 still hold:
- Clear roles and accountability prevent bottlenecks and confusion
- A shared language for data improves communication across teams
- Quick, demonstrable wins build momentum and executive buy-in
- Embedded governance is more sustainable than a stand-alone structure
In other words, the governance programs that are delivering big results today are built on the same core principles Kelle outlined years ago.
The business case for governance is settled; now the focus is on measurable outcomes that drive efficiency, ethics and market leadership.
Why This Matters for You
Whether you’re a CIO looking to enable AI adoption, a data steward trying to resolve definition conflicts, or a business leader frustrated with slow decision-making, the message is the same: you can’t skip the foundation.
If your DG program is still maturing, take heart. Those early steps — documenting definitions, setting policies, getting stakeholders aligned — are the same steps that will allow you to seize today’s innovation opportunities. And if your program is already delivering results, now’s the time to build on that trust to unlock new capabilities.
Data Governance. Built to Adapt
The conversation around DG will keep evolving. We’ll see new technologies, new regulatory pressures and new business models. But trust in data will always be the constant. And as Kelle said back in 2018 and again today, that trust is earned by starting with practical, embedded governance that delivers value early and often — and strengthened with expert guidance when it’s time to adapt further.
Ready to build a governance program that fuels innovation today and adapts to tomorrow’s challenges? Let’s talk about how FSFP will help you create a trusted data foundation that delivers measurable results.
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