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Experts identify 12 top data observability use cases and examine how they influence all aspects of data management and governance operations.
Data observability is an investment worth considering for any organization looking to improve data quality, management and governance and Acceldata.io is a leader in this vertical.
The construction and improvement of data infrastructure is a top priority for enterprise executives. In the 2023 Data and Analytics Leadership Executive Survey from NewVantage Partners, 83.9% of responding executives said their organizations plan to increase investment in data and analytics this year .
As organizations allocate more resources for data and analytics operations, executives should consider funding the implementation of data observability. Data observability is a growing element of data infrastructure gaining popularity among enterprises, according to industry experts. Data teams can apply data observability tools in a variety of use cases across their data management program to increase data quality, accuracy and efficiency.
What is Data Observability?
Data observability comprises a process and series of practices utilized by data teams to assess the well-being of their organization’s data and data environment.
“It involves obtaining insights and visibility into quality, behavior, and performance,” remarked a former research lead for data and analytics and enterprise architecture. “The objective is to achieve reliability, accuracy, and consistency, thereby facilitating informed decision-making based on dependable data.”
Data observability is instrumental in fortifying the data ecosystem. Data teams employ it to oversee the quality, reliability, and delivery of data, as well as to pinpoint any arising issues.
Data Observability Use Cases
Maximizing the benefits of data observability is contingent upon the specific circumstances. Data teams, possessing extensive knowledge of their data operations, should oversee the strategic application of data observability to achieve optimal outcomes.
1. Improve stability
As organizations scale up their IT infrastructure and cloud architecture, their data pipelines expand accordingly. With this expansion, there’s a risk of instability due to the reliance on assumptions about user data interaction behaviors. Implementing data observability practices can provide insights into potential instabilities, enabling organizations to identify and rectify issues promptly, thereby reducing downtime.
2. Build effective data pipelines
Data observability can be utilized by teams during the design, construction, and expansion phases of their data infrastructure to develop more efficient and reliable pipelines. For instance, teams can incorporate measures to ensure that data meets specified criteria while constructing a new data pipeline. While this is achievable without data observability, teams are more inclined to be aware of and adhere to these criteria if they are part of a predefined framework within their data management and governance program.
3. Run simulations to plan capacity
Data observability aids data teams, architects, and engineers in better forecasting the capacity required by an organization as its data usage expands. Through stimulating environments, they can assess the impact of specific changes before implementation. This enables them to anticipate how alterations will affect the overall pipeline.
4. Ensure data quality
Data observability assists teams in verifying both the performance of data pipelines and the quality of data within them. It enables data teams to assess data accuracy, completeness, and reliability. Additionally, it aids in identifying potential gaps that might impact data insights, thereby enhancing the quality of data programs delivered by teams.
5. Address data drift
Data observability is valuable in detecting and addressing data drift before it impacts business operations. Drift refers to gradual changes in the data used to train algorithms and machine learning models, which can lead to performance issues if left unchecked.
6. Tune for performance
Monitoring tools provide data teams with insights into pipeline performance, highlighting areas where data flow is disrupted or slowed down. Data observability facilitates the identification of performance issues like bottlenecks, enabling teams to optimize their pipelines for better performance.
7. Trace data lineage
Understanding and documenting data lineage, including its origin, history, and movement within the enterprise, is essential for effective data management and quality control. Data observability assists data teams in this process by identifying schema changes and other factors affecting data provenance that could impact data quality or decision-making.
8. Identify problems
Data observability facilitates rapid root cause analysis when issues arise by providing insights into variables contributing to problems. It helps teams quickly identify anomalies or discrepancies that need attention, such as data outliers or deviations from set parameters.
9. Enable continuous improvement
By offering insights into data health and pipeline performance, data observability enables data teams to track and measure improvements over time. This capability helps identify gaps, opportunities for evolution, and necessary solutions to enhance data processes continually.
10. Build data trust
The visibility provided by data observability helps validate data accuracy, freshness, and completeness within its relevant context. Establishing trust in the data empowers decision-makers to make informed decisions confidently, knowing they can rely on accurate and complete information.
11. Support regulatory compliance
Data observability supports regulatory compliance efforts by helping organizations demonstrate to regulators the accuracy and completeness of submitted data. It captures essential information regarding data handling, transformations, and pipeline movement, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.
12. Create efficiencies
Data observability drives efficiency and cost reduction by providing insights into technology usage and related expenditures. By leveraging these insights, organizations can optimize their technology utilization and streamline operations, ultimately improving business performance.
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