Make governed data easier to understand
Unified Catalog, Data Map and data governance
Last reviewed
Ghani Governance helps UK organisations set up Microsoft Purview Unified Catalog and Data Map so the catalogue is still used after go-live. That means named owners, scans of the sources that matter, and shared definitions — not a spreadsheet of owners and a catalogue nobody opens.
Governance is not a scan job
Data governance fails when ownership lives in a spreadsheet, definitions differ by department, and nobody can say which table is trusted. People still look for a data catalogue. In Microsoft Purview that work sits on Data Map (sources, scans and the metadata they produce) and Unified Catalog (domains, ownership, glossary and the operating model). We treat them as one implementation, not three brochure pages.
Ghani Governance helps UK organisations decide domains, owners and operating routines, register and scan the sources that matter, and configure Unified Catalog around those decisions. Microsoft documents the product in the Data Map and Unified Catalog documentation; we do the design, configuration and handover those pages do not provide. See also the data governance overview.
What we put in place
Readiness
Current owners, glossaries, forums and whether anyone will actually maintain a catalogue.
Data Map — sources and scans
Which sources to register first, scan scope, and classification so the map is populated with assets the business will recognise — not every database on day one.
Glossary
Shared terms for the handful of business concepts that cause arguments today, attached to assets rather than left in a slide deck.
Domains and ownership
A structure small enough to survive the first reorganisation, with named owners who know they are owners.
Unified Catalog configuration
The catalogue experience that matches the agreed model — search, data products where they help, and stewardship that is not the demo tenant.
Operating model
Review cadence and change process so scans, glossary and ownership do not rot six weeks after go-live.
sensitivity labels · DLP implementation · data lifecycle · Policy to Purview design · Compliance Manager · All Purview services
Indicative ranges
| Service | Planning range | Typical mid-point |
|---|---|---|
| Governance readiness assessment | £2,000–£4,000 | £3,000 |
| Focused catalog pilot | £4,000–£8,000 | £6,000 |
| Multi-domain governance implementation | £8,000–£18,000 | £13,000 |
Indicative only. Domain count, stakeholders, sources and maturity change the figure. Not a quote.
Process
Assess
Ownership, definitions, current catalogue habits, and which sources already exist.
Scope
Priority domains, first sources to scan, and the outcome the pilot must prove.
Design
Domains, responsibilities, glossary terms, scan strategy.
Configure
Data Map registration and scans, then Unified Catalog around the agreed structure.
Embed
How owners review assets, glossary and scans so the catalogue stays useful.
Catalog questions
Is installing Unified Catalog the same as data governance?
No. A catalog without owners, definitions and a review routine is an inventory. Governance is the operating model. Purview is the system of record for that model once people agree it.
Do we need to onboard every source in the first phase?
Usually not. We pick domains where ownership is available and the business can feel a result, then expand.
What is Data Map versus Unified Catalog?
Data Map is the technical foundation: registered sources, scans, and the metadata those scans produce. Unified Catalog is the business experience built on that map — domains, ownership, glossary terms and data products people can actually use. UK organisations still look for a data catalogue; in Purview that work is one implementation, not three products to buy separately.
Related Purview services
Other Ghani Governance Microsoft Purview services on this hub that often sit alongside Unified Catalog and Data Map:
- Sensitivity labels and information protection — classification that catalogue ownership alone does not apply
- Microsoft Purview DLP implementation — outbound controls for assets the catalogue helps you name
- Data lifecycle and records management — retention and disposition once ownership is clear
- Policy to Purview design — mapping written governance policies before the catalogue goes live
- Compliance Manager — assessment programmes that may surface catalogue-related improvement actions
- All Microsoft Purview services — full hub list
Book a discovery workshop
A scoping conversation about what you need to protect, what is already configured, and what must not break.