1. AN OVERVIEW OF THE SALLIE MAE
DATA GOVERNANCE PROGRAM
Dataversity/DGPO Webinar
October 27, 2011
8/29/2011
Copyright © 2011 Sallie Mae, Inc. All rights reserved.

2. SALLIE MAE BACKGROUND
► Sallie Mae is the nation’s leading provider of saving,
planning and paying for education programs
► Since its founding more than 35 years ago, the
company has invested in more than 31 million people to
help them realize their dreams of higher education
► Sallie Mae manages $236 billion in education loans and
serves 11 million student and parent customers
► Through its Upromise affiliates, the company also
manages more than $27 billion in 529 college-savings
plans, and is a major, private source of college funding
contributions in America with more than $575 million in
member rewards
► Sallie Mae is a Fortune 500 company with 8,000
employees in 16 locations nationwide
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Copyright © 2011 Sallie Mae, Inc. All rights reserved.

3. DATA GOVERNANCE AND DATA QUALITY:
THE FOUNDATION FOR BUILDING SALLIE MAE BUSINESS
Business Objectives
Operational Alignment Initiatives
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4. ENTERPRISE DATA MANAGEMENT
STRATEGY AT SALLIE MAE
Data Governance Provides the creation of management structure for
policies and rules governing enterprise data
Data Ownership Data Stewardship Data Quality Implement necessary tools to automate process
Provides documentation of all aspects of the business
Metadata Management and technology components of enterprise data
Includes repository building, defining standards,
architecture, maintenance process, tool selection
Repository Standards Processes & implementation
Design, development and maintenance of data
Data Architecture & Design models at the business context, conceptual, logical
and physical level
Business Conceptual Logical Data Physical Data Represents the data entities, their relationships,
Context Model Data Model Model Model attributes, structure and usage
Data Management Services Definition
Mapping & Conversion Synchronization Exception Handling Performance Mgmt
Provides capabilities to support comprehensive EDM
Replatforming Integration Movement Matching services
Consolidation Quality Analysis Transformation
Backup & Recovery Security Testing Support Access
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5. LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR
DATA GOVERNANCE
Data
Architecture
Enterprise Data Definition
March - July Data
2006
Governance
EDD Project
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6. ENTERPRISE DATA DEFINITION – APPROACH
Conceptual Data Model (Abstract Level)
Both E.G., Borrower, Organization, Loan
“top-down”
and Top Down
Bottom Up
“bottom-up” Logical Data Model (Business Level)
E.G., Borrower Address, Borrower Phone,
approaches
School, Lender, Guarantor
to leverage
existing
information
Physical Database Structure
(Detailed Level)
E.G., Borrower table & associated columns
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7. EDD – CONCLUSION
► 4 Month Effort (March through July 2006)
► Why so quick?
 Centralized Data Management team
 Repository based data modeling tool
Entities
Entities Attributes
Attributes
25000
1400 1282 21218
1200 20000
1000
15000
800
600 10000
400
363
5000 3127
200
0
0
Pre-Engagement Post-Engagement
Pre-Engagement Post-Engagement
Total in-scope physical entities reduced by 71% Total in-scope attributes reduced by 85%
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8. CHANGE IN MARKETING STRATEGY
2006
Moving from institution based
marketing (schools, lenders) to consumer based marketing
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9. DG/DQ PROGRAM TIMELINE
March - July
2006
Pilot Project:
EDD Project
7 DE
August – October
2006
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10. DEMONSTRATED BUSINESS VALUE FROM DAY ONE
► DG Pilot project
 Increased revenue by
$2.4M for the first two
years based on an
estimated increase of
$50M in loan volume
 Eliminated costs of $4.8M
spent on letters/postage
that were replaced by
email campaigns
► Don’t be a solution
waiting for a problem,
find the problem and be
the solution to it!
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11. DG/DQ PROGRAM TIMELINE
March - July November 2006–
2006 March 2007
Pilot Project: DG Program DG Program
EDD Project
7 DE Design Implemented
August – October
April 2007
2006
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12. COORDINATION AND COOPERATION
► The ability to get the right people together to
make decisions and agree on effective action
regarding Sallie Mae’s data is never easy
In a complex
environment
it can feel…
IMPOSSIBLE
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13. MAKING DECISIONS AND TAKING ACTION
► Fortunately, for data-related issues, Sallie Mae has in
place:
 A process to
• Make decisions
• With appropriate representation (from LOBs, teams, etc.)
• And knowledge (access to subject matter experts in business,
data, and IT)
 So they can
• Resolve issues
• Implement effective changes
• Avoid unexpected consequences
• Communicate actions
Cutting through the red tape
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14. DATA GOVERNANCE AT SALLIE MAE
► Data Governance is a discipline, a program, and a
key component of the Sallie Mae Enterprise Data
Strategy
► Data Governance occurs where Business, IT, and
data intersect and includes proactive, reactive, and
ongoing efforts
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15. DATA GOVERNANCE COOKBOOK
► The Data Governance Program
is defined in a
Data Governance Cookbook
with an introduction and nine
modules
 Policy
 Organization
 Process
 Office Administration
 Organizational Alignment
 Communications
 Data Quality
 DG and SMPAL
 Business Benefits
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Copyright © 2011 Sallie Mae, Inc. All rights reserved.

16. GOVERNANCE MATURITY LEVELS
FOR SALLIE MAE DATA
► Sallie Mae adopted a Governance Maturity Model to
describe the levels of maturity for its enterprise
data
► This model began with best practices from the Data
Governance Institute, then was customized to the
unique Sallie Mae environment
► This model describes data that is:
 Level 0 - Ungoverned Data
 Level 1 - Modeled Data
 Level 2 - Repository Data
 Level 3 - Standardized Data
 Level 4 - Standardized with Known Issues Data
 Level 5 - Matured Data
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Copyright © 2011 Sallie Mae, Inc. All rights reserved.

17. THE DATA GOVERNANCE STRATEGY DEFINED
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18. SALLIE MAE DG/DQ SERVICES
WHO’S WHO?
Business and IT Senior Management
IT Sponsor
Business Sponsor
Enterprise Data Management (EDM) Strategy
Data Governance Council Data Governance Office
(DGO)
Barbara
Deemer and
other LOB Michele Koch
representatives Data Governance
Splits into
working groups
Data Quality Services (DQS)
DQ Core Team
Subject Matter Subject Matter Subject Matter
Experts (SMEs) Experts (SMEs) Experts (SMEs)
Business Data IT
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19. HOW DG WORKS
Research Make Decisions
Identify Issues
Issues and Take Action
•
DG
Council
LOB reps
Business DGO DQS
DG
Council
Project DGO Other Subject
Teams Matter Experts
(SMEs)
DGO
(Business,
IT Data, and IT)
Management
Track and Communicate Progress
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20. IDENTIFIED HOW GOVERNANCE INTEGRATED
WITH OUR SDLC
Data Send FYI to Help
Stewards Trigger Stewards resolve
and 3. Issue N
Data Governance Add Modelers, Resolution Update Provide status
Office (DGO) ask PM to resolved? watch to
project Use Data
Y
include Governance list stakeholders
to watch
list DGO on to escalate N
and resolve
stakeholder
Data and
issues
resolved?
Architecture Trigger Y
participation
Determine how the Data Governance
lists
1. Project Modeling Y
Program fits into your SDLC On
Initiation issues?
watch-
Update
Data Modelers Trigger DGO
Invoke Data list?
Governance in
N
response to Perform Update Metadata
triggers: modeling Repository if needed
• EA
Assessment
• Knowledge 2. Technical Design
that
Project Trigger Enterprise Invoke Data Governance during or before
Team Data will
be impacted SD-3 Perform Technical Design
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21. THE PERFECT STORM
2007-2008 Sale of Sallie Mae
falls through
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22. SOME BUMPS ALONG THE WAY
► Communication is key when you encounter
obstacles
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23. ROAD TO RECOVERY
Progress continues Leveraged new Used an audit to re-
but at a slower pace enterprise seed the DG council
without additional initiatives to show and gain support for
staff the value of Data additional funding
Governance
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24. HEALTH CARE REFORM
2010
► FFELP student loan program is abolished
 80% of our ability to originate new assets is lost!
► Time for some tough decisions
 While competitors closed their doors, we aggressively
targeted new products and new customers
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Copyright © 2011 Sallie Mae, Inc. All rights reserved.

25. COMPANY TRANSFORMATION
► Executives had
confidence in the data
needed to make
decisions to move the
company forward as a
result of strong Sallie
Mae data
management and DG
programs
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Copyright © 2011 Sallie Mae, Inc. All rights reserved.

26. STRONG BUSINESS/IT PARTNERSHIP
Enterprise Participation
► Data Governance Office = 3
► Data Quality Services Team = 3
► Data Governance Council
 Lines of Business = 18
 Business Data Stewards = 23
► Business SMEs = 18
► IT SMEs = 25
► Data SMEs = 2
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Copyright © 2011 Sallie Mae, Inc. All rights reserved.

27. GREAT STAKEHOLDER CARE
► Serve in a “Trusted Broker” position in all
dealings with stakeholders
► Ensure that members of senior management
and the DG Council are made aware of
potential impacts of decisions put before them
► Arrange for mentoring or coaching of
stakeholders as required
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Copyright © 2011 Sallie Mae, Inc. All rights reserved.

28. METRICS
Capture as you go!
Pilot project metrics:
• Industry standards and publications
• Interviewed business areas
DG Program metrics:
• Determine business value
• Define reporting categories
• Determine how to track data issues
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Copyright © 2011 Sallie Mae, Inc. All rights reserved.

29. WHAT A DG/DQ PROGRAM DOES FOR
SALLIE MAE
Increase Revenue
Facilitate Private Increase volume Improve servicing
Credit products available for the PUT performance for Dept
speed to market process and trusts of Ed contracts =
increased Sallie Mae
volume percentage
awarded
Manage Cost and Complexity
Eliminate data Reduce operational Implement enterprise
reconciliation efforts servicing costs architecture
and workarounds improvements (e.g.
SOA, person
matching)
Reduce Risk and Support Corporate Compliance
Improved risk Reduce audit Improve
management and findings due to identification and
corp. compliance inaccurate or documentation of
through DQ and inconsistent data identity fraud
standardization
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30. DG REPORTING CATEGORIES
Data
Standardization
33%
Metadata MDM
Support 14%
5%
Data
Quality
Project
37%
Support
11%
Categories for DG Program metrics
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Copyright © 2011 Sallie Mae, Inc. All rights reserved.

31. DOCUMENT BUSINESS VALUE METRICS
► Implemented
resolutions for 77% of
the data issues since
DG Program inception
► Utilized proven
techniques for
quantifying business
Goal:
value Focus on solving business
problems while always keeping
► Linked business value your eye on delivering a first rate
DG Program
calculations to financial
statement categories
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Copyright © 2011 Sallie Mae, Inc. All rights reserved.

32. COMMUNICATION
Key is regularly and consistently!
► Easy to focus on the day-to-day activities, must
focus on communicating the wins and payback
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Copyright © 2011 Sallie Mae, Inc. All rights reserved.

33. METHODS OF COMMUNICATION
 Decision makers for boundary
1 spanning data issues
 Meets every other Tuesday
2  Meeting agenda and supporting
documentation posted on web
3
and sent prior to the meeting
 Use to send information on new
data issues, pose questions,
comments, and concerns
 Calendar of meeting dates
 Mailbox goes directly to:
 Meeting agenda and minutes
DGO Program Director
 Participant list
Chief Data Steward
 DG issue reports
DGO Assistant
 Documents and presentations
DATA_GOV@salliemae.com  Meeting archives, DG news and
data_governance/dghome announcements
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Copyright © 2011 Sallie Mae, Inc. All rights reserved.

34. T YPES OF COMMUNICATION
► Mission and value statements
► Elevator speech
► Slogan/Logo
► Status Reports
► Dashboards
► Presentations
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Copyright © 2011 Sallie Mae, Inc. All rights reserved.

35. DG/DQ PROGRAM TIMELINE
March - July November 2006– October-December July 2010 -
2006 March 2007 2009 Present
Monitor data
Pilot Project: DG Program DG Program DQ Program DQ Program
EDD Project Focus on
7 DE Design Implemented Design & Pilot
root cause &
Implementation
prevention
August – October January – June
April 2007
2006 2010
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36. THE DATA QUALITY PROGRAM AND DG
Data Quality Services
The DG Program:
• Provides guidance,
prioritization, and
decisions for DQ
activities
• Oversees resolution
of DQ issues
The DQ Program:
• Develops DQ management as a
core competency
• Improves DQ throughout Sallie
Mae
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37. KEY DG/DQ ENGAGEMENTS
► Reconciliation projects for Finance
► Loan Acquisition Conversions
► EDW Support
► MDM Support
► New project support
► Metadata support
► Training on DQ tools
► Consulting to teams
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38. HOW THE DQ PROGRAM SHOWS VALUE AND
PROGRESS
► Three categories of metrics are reported
 State of Data Quality
 Business Value from Data Quality
 Data Quality Program Performance
Dashboard
► For each category, a dashboard
level status is summarized
from detailed reports Drilldown
► Drilldown information is
included as appropriate for
the specific metric Detail
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39. CONTINUING TO SHOW BUSINESS VALUE
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40. NEXT STEPS
► DG program must evolve and
grow as Sallie Mae continues
to redefine itself and expand
into new product areas
► Continue to move from
reactive to pro-active
► DG/DQ become integral to
our core business processes
as the environment gets
more complex
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Copyright © 2011 Sallie Mae, Inc. All rights reserved.

41. LOOKING AHEAD
► Need to maintain data governance vigilance in
order to ensure customer satisfaction and data
quality
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Copyright © 2011 Sallie Mae, Inc. All rights reserved.

42. QUESTIONS?
► For further information, please contact
Michele Koch
Michele.V.Koch@salliemae.com
703-984-6601
Data Governance
Solving boundary-spanning issues
by pulling together the pieces of the data puzzle.
42
Copyright © 2011 Sallie Mae, Inc. All rights reserved.