DSC

Data Architecture & Governance

We design data platforms with security, ownership, and access control built in from the start, so your teams trust the data and your auditors can verify it. Good data architecture is what makes everything downstream dependable, from executive dashboards to the AI agents that query on your behalf.

When to bring us in

The problems this solves

Ownership is unclear

Nobody can say who owns a dataset, so quality issues bounce between teams instead of getting fixed.

Access is all or nothing

People either see everything or file a ticket and wait. Neither scales, and neither passes an audit.

Definitions drift

Finance and sales report different numbers for the same metric, and every meeting starts with reconciliation.

The stakes just went up

A SOC 2 push, a new regulation, or an AI initiative is exposing gaps you have been deferring.

How it fits together

Architecture and governance are one decision, not two

We design the zones your data moves through and the controls that travel with it. A policy set once applies everywhere, including to queries an AI agent writes on a user’s behalf.

Diagram of a governed data architecture: source systems flow into a raw landing zone, then modeled and tested data, then consumption by BI, AI, and applications. A governance layer spanning all zones enforces role-based access, row and column policies, ownership, and audit trail.

Data flows left to right through governed zones. The controls underneath apply to every zone and every consumer, human or AI.
What’s included

What a data architecture engagement includes

Scope flexes to where you are, from a greenfield platform design to a governance retrofit on an architecture that grew faster than its rules.

  • Cloud data platform architecture and reference designs
  • Role-based access control (RBAC) designed around how your teams actually work
  • Row access and column masking policies for sensitive and regulated data
  • Data ownership and stewardship models your organization will actually follow
  • Environment strategy, naming standards, and promotion paths
  • Metric and semantic definitions governed in one place, not four
  • Lineage, audit readiness, and access review support
  • Cost governance with guardrails on compute and storage spend
Our approach

How we work

01

Assess

Map the current state honestly: where data lives, who can touch it, and where the risks actually are.

02

Design

Target architecture, access model, and ownership, documented in plain language your whole team can read.

03

Implement

Controls built into the platform itself, not bolted on around it, introduced domain by domain.

04

Operate

Access reviews, monitoring, and evolution as the organization changes, with us or with your team.

Outcomes

Access questions get answered in minutes, not meetings. And when the auditor asks who can see what, the answer is a query, not a scramble.

SnowflakedbtPlatform-agnostic patterns
Questions we hear

Frequently asked questions

Do we need a governance program before starting analytics or AI?

No. Governance should grow with the platform rather than precede it. We scope controls to the domains actually in use, then expand. AI does raise the stakes, though: agents inherit whatever permissions exist, so loose access becomes visible fast.

We handle sensitive data and are working toward SOC 2. Can you design for that?

Yes. We design platforms to be auditable by default: role-based access, masking on sensitive columns, and complete query logging. We work alongside your security team and your auditors rather than around them.

Is this Snowflake-specific?

No. We are a Snowflake Select Partner and much of our work lands there, but the architecture and governance patterns apply across modern cloud data platforms, and we support clients on other stacks.

How disruptive is a governance retrofit?

Less than the alternative. We introduce policies domain by domain with a validation window, so nothing locks down overnight. The goal is that most users never notice the change, except that the numbers start agreeing.

Build on architecture that holds

Whether you are designing a new platform or bringing order to one that grew fast, we will meet you where you are.

Get In Touch