BREAKING: USPS slashes address verification to 60 addresses/hour. What now?
Smarty

The importance of a data governance framework

The importance of data governance framework main image
Updated October 29, 2025
Tags
The importance of data governance framework main image

We're thrilled to share a sneak peek of one of the sections in our latest ebook, "Data Governance: An Executive's Survival Guide." This guide is a must-have for anyone with a database, and we have packed it with an abundance of critical points and examples that will enlighten and entertain you.

One of the most valuable assets businesses have is the digital data we work with every day. As more and more data is collected and used, it's important to have a system to manage it effectively. Enter data governance frameworks.

What is a data governance framework?

Much like other aspects of our lives, a data governance framework provides rules and guidelines for collecting, storing, and using data in a business. This framework helps to streamline and scale core governance processes, making it easier to maintain compliance and support collaboration as data volumes grow.

Data Governance: An Executive's Survival Guide ebook

Why does a data governance framework matter?

Having a data governance framework in place is crucial for the success of your operations. It allows your business to define and document standards, accountability, and ownership, making it easier to maintain high-quality data. In fact, 67% of respondents in a Profisee-sponsored Harvard Business Review Analytics Services report say that data governance is essential for achieving high-quality enterprise data.

Example of a data governance framework

If you're wondering how to create a data governance framework, the Data Governance Institute provides a helpful template. The term "data modeling" is often used interchangeably with "data governance framework" and can also refer to the visual representation of the framework. This representation can help to better understand how everything fits together.

Gimme a data governance checklist

The complete list of data governance program components is available in the ebook that's available for free, but we'll give you a glimpse at the top four.

Mission and Vision: Define the mission and vision of the data governance program using compelling language.

Goals, Metrics, and Funding Strategies: Include SMART goals to measure the program's success and explore funding options with stakeholders.

Rules: Outline data-related policies, standards, compliance requirements, business rules, and data definitions. Address gaps and overlaps in definitions.

Decision Rights: Identify who has the decision rights for data-related decisions, including when new rules are created. Establish the decision rights for the data governance program.

You can read more about each of these components, and the other six points in the full ebook.

Download the free ebook today

Data Governance: An Executive's Survival Guide ebook

Subscribe to our blog!
Learn more about RSS feeds here.
Read our recent posts
Introducing Smarty’s mascot… Hermes?
Arrow Icon
Greek gods, as it turns out, have a lot to say to the mortals on Earth and the souls in Hades. What they don’t have is time to travel from Olympus all the way to Earth or Hades just to tell a mere mortal to perform 12 labors… or eat a magical herb… or free Odysseus. That’s why the gods have a personal messenger: Hermes. Equipped with winged sandals, Hermes travels between Olympus, Earth, and the underworld with lightning speed (Get it? Lightning? Because his dad is Zeus? 🤣)Smarty also knows a thing or two about outrageous speed, and that’s not where our similarities with Hermes end.
How to build and validate address lists for direct mail marketing
Arrow Icon
Looking to build a direct mail marketing campaign? You’ve come to the right spot. Before you can send marketing mail like a pro, you’ll need to build a list of verified addresses. Otherwise, frequent misdeliveries and costly redeliveries can take the wind right out of your campaign’s sails. On top of that, a bad address list could lead you to miss out on mind-blowing postal discounts. 😱Don’t let bad addresses capsize your campaign. With a US Master Address List of over 210 million verified addresses—available by state, county, or nationwide—and shipshape US Address Verification, you can construct new lists or clean active ones with the swagger of a seasoned captain.
USPS API rate limit capped at 60 requests per hour: How to prepare and why many are choosing Smarty
Arrow Icon
Because who doesn’t love juggling one more thing during the holiday season…? A major shift in the address-verification landscape is approaching at the beginning of the new year. On January 25, 2026, the United States Postal Service (USPS) will officially retire its long-standing Web Tools APIs, a free API that previously allowed for approximately 5 address lookups per transaction. This includes the legacy USPS Address Information APIs that many organizations have depended on for years. Under USPS’s new API structure, the default quota for many services, including the Addresses API, is 60 requests per hour.

Ready to get started?