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Data Steward

Data management1/5/2026Intermediate Level

An individual or team responsible for the quality, integrity, and governance of specific data domains within an organization.

What is Data Steward? (Definition)

A data steward is a person responsible for the quality and accuracy of a company's information. In e-commerce, they usually manage product data. They make sure that details like descriptions, prices, and sizes are correct and consistent. These professionals link technical IT teams with business departments. They set clear rules for how to enter data and ensure everyone follows them. If there is a mistake or a confusing definition, the data steward resolves the issue. They also control who can access or edit specific data. By keeping information organized and clean, they help the business run smoothly and ensure customers see the right product details.

Why Data Steward is Important for E-commerce

A data steward is a professional who manages the quality and accuracy of product information. In large e-commerce businesses, they make sure data stays consistent across all sales channels and systems. They check that product details follow company rules and legal standards. This prevents errors that could hurt sales or damage customer trust. Data stewards help different teams work together on product updates. By keeping information clean, they help the business make better decisions based on reliable facts. Using a system like WISEPIM allows these specialists to monitor data health and fix issues before they reach the customer.

Examples of Data Steward

  • 1A fashion data steward ensures clothing details like size, color, and material are correct and consistent across the catalog.
  • 2A media data steward manages product photos and videos. They make sure these files link to the right items in PIM and DAM systems.
  • 3A compliance data steward checks that safety labels and allergen lists are accurate. This ensures products meet all legal rules for the EU market.
  • 4A sales data steward manages prices and promotions. They ensure the right data goes to every webshop and sales channel.

How WISEPIM Helps

  • WISEPIM provides the tools and workflows data stewards need to manage product information. This helps them keep data accurate and consistent across the entire system.
  • Set specific permissions so data stewards only access the information they need. This keeps data secure while letting them manage their assigned product areas efficiently.
  • Data stewards can monitor data quality and fix errors directly inside WISEPIM. They use automated rules to ensure all product information stays correct and complete.
  • WISEPIM helps data stewards work with other teams using shared workflows. Built-in communication tools make it easy for everyone to help keep product data accurate.

Common Mistakes with Data Steward

  • Companies often fail to define the specific duties and authority of data stewards. This lack of clarity leads to confusion and makes work inefficient.
  • Many businesses do not give data stewards the tools or support they need. Without these resources, they cannot enforce data quality standards effectively.
  • Some organizations treat data stewardship as a technical IT job. This ignores the fact that the role is actually about business processes and data ownership.
  • Companies often provide too little training or few resources. This prevents data stewards from understanding their data areas or following governance rules.
  • Data stewards often work in isolation instead of as part of a team. They need to be part of a larger governance plan and collaborate with business units.

Tips for Data Steward

  • Define the specific duties and authority for every data steward to prevent confusion and ensure clear responsibility.
  • Provide thorough training on data management and the specific tools stewards use to manage their data.
  • Give data stewards the authority to make decisions and enforce quality rules with full support from leadership.
  • Encourage data stewards to work closely with IT and business teams so data rules meet everyone's needs.
  • Update data policies and guidelines regularly to keep up with new technology, business changes, and laws.

Trends Surrounding Data Steward

  • AI-driven data quality and governance: AI tools assist data stewards in automatically identifying data anomalies, suggesting corrections, and enforcing data quality rules at scale.
  • Automation of routine stewardship tasks: Increased use of automation for data cleansing, validation, and metadata management, freeing stewards to focus on complex data issues and strategic initiatives.
  • Enhanced focus on data ethics and compliance: Data stewards play a crucial role in ensuring data practices align with evolving regulatory requirements (e.g., privacy, sustainability reporting) and ethical guidelines.
  • Data mesh and decentralized data ownership: Stewardship responsibilities are increasingly distributed within domain-specific teams, promoting a more decentralized approach to data governance.
  • Integration with headless commerce architectures: Data stewards ensure consistent and high-quality product data delivery across diverse front-end experiences and APIs in headless environments.

Tools for Data Steward

  • WISEPIM: Centralizes product information, enabling data stewards to manage, enrich, and ensure the quality and consistency of product data across all sales channels.
  • Akeneo: A leading PIM solution providing robust features for data enrichment, validation rules, and workflow management, directly supporting data stewardship activities.
  • Salsify: A Product Experience Management (PXM) platform that helps data stewards govern product content, syndicate it to various channels, and maintain data integrity.
  • Collibra: A comprehensive data governance platform offering data cataloging, lineage, business glossary, and policy management, essential for enterprise-wide data stewardship.
  • Informatica Data Quality: Tools for profiling, cleansing, monitoring, and remediating data quality issues, directly supporting the operational tasks of data stewards.

Related Terms

data stewardshipdata governancepim administratorproduct data qualitydata validationpim user roles

Also Known As

Data custodiandata owner (often broader)data manager (often broader)