Using databases is an effective way to make data easier to understand for users. Data profiles provide concise, informational summaries of data in the database. They can include information such as number of tables and files, number of row counts, columns, maximum and minimum values, and more. This information can be very helpful to data consumers and can speed up the discovery process.

A data catalog can also make data discoverable. It allows users to enter keywords or filters to easily find information they are looking for. Some data catalogs even automatically sort data assets based on their relevance and viewing frequency. These systems can also be connected to analytics tools and BI platforms. They help eliminate data silos and improve collaboration between departments by giving them a single, comprehensive view of data.

Another benefit of data catalogs is that they allow data consumers to discover related data in different databases at once. For example, an analyst may need to find the consolidated information of all customers in the company, and a data catalog can make it easier to do this. Data catalogs also make data acquisition easier because they standardize the process of data acquisition.

A data catalog should contain detailed information on each data asset. This helps users understand each data asset in a more meaningful way. It also helps users find important data and understand how to interpret it. Data catalogs can include business metadata, process metadata, and more. They can also help organizations to perform data quality assessment. Furthermore, data catalogs can facilitate crowdsourcing and manual data curation. This helps organizations build trust in their data assets.