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There comes a time in every piece of equipment where they are faced with the inevitable – retirement. The end of the road for hardware is much clearer cut than software, as it’s obvious when hardware has “had enough.” Software on the other hand, is usually retired when it just doesn’t make sense to update/upgrade anymore or it’s no longer serving the purpose it once did. New software deployments cost money, so it’s not a decision made lightly. The challenges faced with getting rid of software versus hardware are also much more complicated. Hardware is wiped clean and recycled, but software needs to be uninstalled throughout the organization. This can be a tricky process, as oftentimes, the software will leave footprints on the system that can effect licensing as well as the installation of a new program.

Extensive testing must be done in order to ensure that you successfully uninstall the software in its entirety. There are tools available to automatically uninstall software, which will certainly save you time over doing it manually, but don’t skip the testing when using these. Unsuccessful uninstalls can also wreak havoc on your software asset management repository - anybasic discovery tool will pick-up those traces left behind and count them as assets.

Be sure to run a thorough check both before and after your uninstall to insure that you get it all!

When companies are implanting data governance they often identify a data steward (or several, depending on the size of the organization) to synchronize data collection processes, reduce data redundancy, and increase data accessibility, availability, and flexibility in a systematic manner or more simply put, exercise quality control of data.

We highly recommend assigning this responsibility to a properly trained individual, or one individual for each business unit, depending on your specific needs. Please keep in mind that this person will need to be managed as well to be sure the job is being done properly.

The idea of governing data is certainly not a new one. Most businesses have some form of data governance, but most are not doing it well. With advancements in technology comes added complexity to managing data, forcing companies to separate data governance out by division, business function and/or geographic location, causing the process to break down. All levels must be engaged in the process - from corporate to IT - across the enterprise.

There are many advantages to a successful data governance system, including:

Operational Savings and Efficiencies - data governance allows you to proactively monitor data and make changes for future business operations, avoiding one-off projects that typically cost much more.

Compliance - policies and procedures that are strictly monitored and enforced improve compliance.

Customer Service - improved understanding of customer data provides better customer service and also greater visibility for cross- and up-selling.

Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) Preparation - should your company be faced with a merger or acquisition, you are better equipped to combine data assets, lessening the time to get back to core business functions.

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