Mid-Size Financial Institution Success Story

About the Customer

This mid-size financial institution handles vast amounts of sensitive operational data. With data governance becoming a growing priority, they needed a solution that could deliver control and clarity, without the complexity or enterprise price tag. While the organization prefers to remain anonymous, their journey reveals how the right tool can drive meaningful transformation at scale.

The Challenge: 20 Years of Data, Zero Visibility

After 20+ years of accumulating data, this organization found itself in a familiar spot—data everywhere, and no clear way to manage it. When the new data leader came on board, one of his first goals was to build a real governance foundation.

At the time, everything was tracked manually in Excel. Searching for something like GDPR-related data could take 2–3 weeks, and data errors were all too common. It was clear the team needed better tools and processes.

So, he built a business case—a data catalog was going to be a critical first step.

The Search for the Right Tool

The team didn’t rush the decision. They did a deep dive into the market, looking at several well-established platforms like Talend, Atlan, Informatica, and Collibra, and consulting sources like Gartner, Forrester, and peer recommendations.

Some of those tools were familiar to him from past experience. In fact, Talend stood out for its tight connection with Qlik—one of their main data platforms. But in the end, Dataedo came out on top.

The Decision: Why Dataedo Won

Here’s what tipped the scale:

• Price vs. Value: Many “market leaders” were more than 10x the cost of Dataedo and required large, mature teams to manage.
• Simplicity & Scalability: Evaluated tools were too complex, expensive, and required a mature team to operate. They lacked the agility needed by the organization. Dataedo, on the other hand, was simple enough to use and easy to scale.
• On-Prem Hosting: A non-negotiable requirement was on-premise hosting due to the nature of the sensitive data they manage. While SaaS options were disqualified, Dataedo’s self-hosted model fit their needs perfectly.
• Broad Connector Support: Even setting cost aside, Dataedo ranked second in connector support across all tools evaluated.

They were also looking for a tool that was actively growing—not one that had plateaued. Dataedo’s product roadmap and pace of innovation gave them confidence they were picking a solution with a future.

What Happened After Launch

So far, the team’s been really happy. Everything Dataedo promised during the evaluation? It’s been delivered.

“Dataedo offers the same level of maturity in data lineage and cataloging as other leading tools - at a much better cost-to-value ratio.”

They especially appreciated how fast the support team responded when a connector issue popped up—a fix was released within a couple of weeks.

Another big win has been Dataedo’s transparent and user-friendly pricing model, which made internal adoption easier.

“It’s not just affordable—it’s designed to encourage wider adoption across the business.”

There was one concern: what if they eventually outgrow Dataedo?

“Sure, there’s always that fear. But we operate on 7-year windows—and I don’t see us outgrowing you anytime soon. I believe you’ll grow with us.”

The Bottom Line

This customer’s experience shows how Dataedo strikes the right balance: powerful enough to handle serious governance, simple enough to use, and priced to grow.

“We didn’t need the flashiest tool—we needed the one that actually worked for us. And we found it with Dataedo.”

Take Control of Your Data

Whether you're starting your data governance journey or looking for a tool that truly fits your scale and budget, Dataedo delivers clarity, control, and confidence—without the complexity.

Book a demo and see how simple powerful data cataloging can be.