Data management is the development of policies and systems that protect and deliver the information and data that your organization needs in order to operate.

In-depth data management is crucial to the success of some organizations, but for others it may not be a priority. When data is inaccurate, inaccessible, lost, or incomplete, your organization can suffer from financial losses, missed opportunities, low productivity, and a poor reputation.

To help your organization manage its data and information more effectively, list the frustrations, bottlenecks, and inefficiencies that you and your team members experience. Then, review the risks that you need to protect against.

When you've identified the changes that you want to make, talk to IT professionals about these issues, and find out what you can do to streamline processes and systems within your organization. Finally, write a business case to outline how your proposed improvements will benefit the organization.