Good Data, Great Decisions
Every Salesforce user knows the saying: “Bad data in, bad data out.”
But in 2025, that’s not just a warning — it’s a competitive reality.
With Salesforce now powering AI insights, predictive analytics, and automated workflows, data quality has never been more important. If your CRM is built on inconsistent or incomplete data, every downstream decision — from sales forecasting to marketing segmentation — is affected.
That’s why data governance has become one of the most critical pillars of a successful Salesforce strategy.
“Organisations lose an average of 12% of their revenue each year due to poor data quality.”
— Gartner, “How to Create a Business Case for Data Quality Improvement,” 2024
What Is Data Governance in Salesforce?
Data governance refers to the policies, processes, and roles that ensure data in your Salesforce org is accurate, consistent, secure, and compliant.
It’s not just about cleaning up records — it’s about establishing ongoing accountability for how data is created, updated, and used.
In practical terms, Salesforce data governance covers:
- Data Quality: Maintaining accuracy, completeness, and relevance.
- Data Ownership: Assigning responsibility for specific datasets or objects.
- Data Security & Compliance: Meeting standards like GDPR, CCPA, and ISO 27001.
- Data Lifecycle Management: Controlling how data is retained, archived, or deleted.
A strong governance framework ensures your teams trust the data they use every day.
The Cost of Dirty Data
Poor data quality has a domino effect across the business:
- Sales teams waste time chasing dead leads or outdated opportunities.
- Marketing teams send campaigns to incorrect or duplicate contacts.
- Service teams struggle to resolve cases without complete customer histories.
According to Salesforce’s own State of Data and Analytics 2024 report, 47% of CRM users say they don’t fully trust their company’s data — a clear sign that governance and data culture need to catch up with technology.
“Without trust in data, AI insights and automation lose their impact.”
— Salesforce Research, State of Data & Analytics 2024
Building a Data Governance Framework That Works
A solid Salesforce data governance program doesn’t need to be complex — it just needs to be consistent and collaborative.
Here’s a step-by-step framework many successful organisations follow:
1. Define Ownership
Assign data stewards or business owners for each Salesforce object or dataset. Accountability drives quality.
2. Establish Standards
Create and enforce field-level validation rules, naming conventions, and duplicate management processes.
3. Audit Regularly
Schedule data quality reports to flag incomplete, inconsistent, or duplicate records. Use Salesforce Data Cloud or third-party tools like OwnBackup or Validity DemandTools for automation.
4. Train and Communicate
Ensure every user understands the “why” behind data hygiene — from sales reps entering leads to admins managing integrations.
5. Monitor and Evolve
Data governance isn’t a one-time project. Review your policies quarterly and adapt to new business processes or regulations.
Tools That Help Keep Data Clean
Salesforce offers a robust ecosystem of tools to support governance and quality management:
- Salesforce Data Cloud: Centralises and harmonises data across systems for a single, accurate view of each customer.
- Einstein Data Detect: Uses AI to automatically identify and correct anomalies or errors in your dataset.
- Salesforce Shield: Enhances data security and compliance with event monitoring and encryption.
- Duplicate Management & Validation Rules: Native Salesforce features that reduce human error and maintain consistency.
- Partner Apps (e.g., DemandTools, Cloudingo): Automate deduplication, cleansing, and standardisation processes.
“When you trust your data, you trust your decisions.”
— Bret Taylor, former Co-CEO, Salesforce, at Dreamforce 2023
Compliance: The Unsung Hero of Data Governance
Data compliance is often treated as a checkbox exercise — but it’s far more than that. In an increasingly regulated environment, governance ensures you’re handling customer data responsibly and transparently.
Key compliance considerations:
- GDPR: Clear consent management and right-to-erasure processes.
- CCPA: Transparent data sharing policies and opt-out capabilities.
- SOC 2 & ISO 27001: Ongoing system monitoring and secure access controls.
Failing to comply can result not only in fines but in significant reputational damage. Strong governance protects both your customers and your brand.
Quick Wins for Better Data Today
You don’t have to rebuild your org to make an impact. Start with small steps:
✅ Run a duplicate report across key objects (Leads, Contacts, Accounts).
✅ Standardise picklists for lead sources, industries, and regions.
✅ Implement validation rules to ensure required fields are always complete.
✅ Schedule automated data hygiene dashboards.
✅ Review inactive records every quarter.
Each of these actions compounds over time, creating a cleaner, more reliable Salesforce environment.
The Payoff: Smarter, Faster, More Confident Teams
Clean data empowers smarter automation, more accurate forecasts, and deeper customer understanding. When your teams trust their CRM, they make faster, more confident decisions — and your business grows as a result.
“You can’t automate chaos. Data governance turns information into insight.”
— Salesforce World Tour London, 2024 Panel on Data Quality
Next Steps
If your Salesforce org is full of duplicates, incomplete records, or outdated information, you’re not alone — but you don’t have to stay there.
As a Platinum Salesforce Partner, we help organisations design and implement data governance frameworks that are practical, scalable, and tailored to their unique processes.
Whether you’re cleaning up a legacy org or preparing for AI and automation, we can help you turn your data into a strategic advantage.