Enterprise Information Governance, Domain Specificity, and the Data Mesh Paradigm

Alastair McCullough, Jim Davies

Keywords: Data Mesh, Domain, Enterprise Information Governance, Data Governance, Data Product, Data Object, Domain Specificity, Policies, Standards, Process, Decision-Point, Regulatory Framework, Data Strategy, Target Business Architecture, Operating Model, Software Engineering, Data Mesh Use Case

TL;DR: A novel analysis of the design of enterprise and domain specificity in information governance, focusing on the popular Data Mesh sociotechnical method

Abstract: This paper presents a novel critical analysis of the design of enterprise and domain specificity in information governance operating models–or target business architectures-by looking closely at the well-known data mesh sociotechnical method to understand a localized, domain specific approach. The analysis builds upon a new definition of enterprise information governance, defined as acting through control mechanisms to assure accountability in managing decision rights over information and data assets in organizations. The paper uses a graphic representation of such governance as a framework to consider the nature of strategic and tactical policies and standards that form the basis for data mesh thinking. It includes definitions of data objects and data products, and defines a technical use case, anchored in standard corporate accounting practice and software engineering, to exemplify data products. The paper then focuses on the specificity of ownership, bringing out domain, business unit, process, and decision-point bases alongside data mesh to support both design of governance and further scholarly research endeavors in consideration of domain-specific regulatory business architectures for governance.

Submission Number: 1