Vacancies
Global grip on data quality with metadata architecture at Akzo Nobel
Data Solutions

The challenge

Akzo Nobel struggled with typical enterprise data challenges: Insufficient visibility into data quality across business units. Different definitions for KPIs and data elements. No central metadata repository or lineage tracking. Many manual checks without economies of scale. The objective: a platform that makes quality measurement, reusability and compliance automatic and insightful – on a global scale.

Our approach

Our consultant worked from the Global Data Office to implement a metadata-driven Quality Control Layer (QCL) within the Akzo Lakehouse. Key steps:
  1. Design and development of metadata models
  • Uniform definition of dimensions, metrics and sources.
  • Linking to KPIs for business performance & risk management
    • DQ issues immediately visible in reports.
  • Automation via CI/CD pipelines on Azure
    • Implementation in conjunction with Azure DevOps and Power BI.
  • Manageable structure
    • Users could add quality rules themselves via web interface (governance-as-code).
  • International alignment
    • Working with teams across multiple countries, focusing on adoption & support.

    context

    Data as a strategic asset in product environmentsFor a global player like Akzo Nobel – active in chemicals and coatings – data quality is not a luxury, but a prerequisite. From supply chain to production, from finance to compliance: data-driven decisions require reliable, up-to-date and standardized information. But in an organization with dozens of data sources and countries, that’s easier said than done. IBS provided a specialist who helped Akzo Nobel realize a metadata-driven data quality platform within a modern data lakehouse on Azure.

    The impact

    Real-time monitoring of data quality across multiple domains. Reusable quality logic for Finance, Supply Chain and HR. KPIs directly linked to measurable data quality. Central governance and audit trail for global compliance. Automatic deployments via Azure CI/CD pipelines.

    Why this case matters

    This assignment shows how a multinational like Akzo Nobel took a fundamental step towards data-driven management. Not by building yet another dashboard – but by putting the foundation (metadata, quality, governance) in order. IBS combined technical depth with strategic brainpower.

    Isatis business solutions

    IBS helps organizations in industry, logistics and finance get a grip on their data – from metadata models to data quality, lineage and KPI control. Always scalable, always pragmatic.