Title

AWS re:Invent 2022 - Why operationalizing data mesh is critical for operating in the cloud (PRT222)

Summary

Patrick Bartsch, Senior Director of Product Management at Capital One, discusses the journey of operationalizing data mesh at Capital One.
Capital One has transitioned to the cloud, rearchitected its data ecosystem, and built internal cloud and data management products.
The talk covers the challenges of managing vast amounts of data from various sources and the importance of data governance in the face of diverse privacy laws.
Bartsch emphasizes the need for a mindset shift to treat data as a product, which leads to adopting data mesh principles.
Capital One's approach involved centralized policy tooling into a central platform and federated data management.
The company restructured its lines of business into units of data responsibility and established enterprise standards for metadata management and data quality based on risk.
Capital One automated governance processes and created a usability layer for teams to perform their jobs efficiently.
Four use cases are presented: data producing experience, data consumer experience, self-service data governance experience, and data infrastructure management.
The automation of governance and the creation of a single entry point for data ingestion were key to driving adoption.
Bartsch concludes that operationalizing data mesh requires building user-friendly tooling and self-service capabilities to make traditional data engineering activities transparent to users.

Capital One's journey to operationalize data mesh highlights the importance of treating data as a product, which aligns with the broader industry trend of recognizing data as a critical asset.
The company's approach to data governance, which varies based on the sensitivity and intended use of the data, reflects a nuanced understanding of risk management.
The automation of governance processes and the creation of a single entry point for data ingestion are innovative solutions to ensure consistent data governance across an enterprise.
The use cases presented demonstrate the practical application of data mesh principles and the benefits of self-service capabilities, such as increased efficiency and reduced costs.
Capital One's experience underscores the necessity of user-friendly tooling and self-service in operationalizing data mesh, which can serve as a blueprint for other organizations looking to manage their data ecosystems effectively in the cloud.