Do you know what data your organization has, where it’s stored, and who can access it? Are you concerned about overlooking critical datasets that could inform better decision-making?
This guide provides a practical, step-by-step approach to conducting a data inventory project that brings clarity to your organization’s data assets. Through clear explanations, real-world examples, and customizable templates, this guide walks you through the essential process of documenting what data you have, where it lives, and how it’s used. Whether you are starting from scratch or looking to improve existing practices, this comprehensive resource helps organizations of any size build a strong foundation for data governance while avoiding common pitfalls. To help you get started straight away, the guide is packaged with a ready-to-use project planning template and inventory worksheet.
Suggested citation:
Open North. Getting to Know Your Data: How to successfully plan and implement a data inventory project in your organization. Montreal. Open North, 2024.
Related resources
- Guide to Data-Sharing Agreements
- Data Quality in Practice
- Getting to Know Your Data
- Cybersecurity for Small and Medium-Sized Organizations
- Privacy principles and practices for compliance with Law 25
- Personal data flow mapping
- Data Privacy Policy
- Generative AI in your organization
- Risk identification and mitigation tool
- Mobility data anonymization