Modernising Data Governance with Microsoft Purview in a UK Government Regulatory Body 

Overview

As a UK regulatory body managing sensitive consumer and market data, operational efficiency and governance are paramount. The dedicated teams working to protect data and maintain regulatory standards faced a critical challenge: how to modernise data governance and data classification processes while meeting their operational requirements. 

With analysts struggling to locate and trust information in a landscape of increasing regulatory complexity and expanding data volumes, they needed a way to transform data from a fragmented, inefficient asset into a streamlined, secure and reliable foundation for informed, proactive decision-making. 

Problem

Despite having established Azure-based infrastructure, the UK regulatory body’s existing data governance processes were fragmented, lacked automation and it was increasingly difficult for analysts to discover, trust and utilise data effectively. Despite the in-house team’s in-depth knowledge of data and the government sector, valuable time was consumed by navigating disconnected systems. Scattered data assets further undermined confidence in the accuracy of their analytical outputs. 

With the need to make precise, timely decisions based on reliable data, the team were under growing pressure to improve their tools and processes. 

As a government organisation with defined security responsibilities, the environment they required needed careful integration and controlled access, while also being able to function entirely within private networks.

Beyond these foundations, they sought a comprehensive approach to meet increasing regulatory demands and improve data visibility – one that could modernise governance while enabling efficient data discovery, classification, and stewardship. 

Solution

Recognising their pressing challenges, the organisation partnered with Simpson Associates – a Microsoft Solutions Partner and Partner of the Year – to design and implement a fully private deployment of Microsoft Purview. The solution leveraged their existing Azure-based infrastructure while aligning with a clear Purview roadmap, matching their long-term vision for data governance excellence. 

Simpson Associates’ comprehensive approach addressed every aspect of their data governance challenges through four clear stages: 

1. Metadata Ingestion & Cataloguing: Connected Purview to Azure Data Storage and Azure Synapse Analytics, automatically ingesting and organising metadata into a unified, searchable catalogue of trusted assets. 

2. Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Designed and implemented a RBAC model, tailored to their governance framework, to ensure that only the right people had access to the right data, streamlining their approach.

3. Data Quality & Glossary: Configured Purview Data Quality to monitor and improve datasets and create a comprehensive data glossary linking assets to internal terminology, enabling consistent understanding across teams. 

4. Curated Data Products: Delivered ready-to-use data products to empower analysts with instant, reliable insights, transforming them from reactive compliance to proactive data-driven decision-making. 

This Purview implementation solution delivered airtight control over data governance while eliminating operational bottlenecks and giving the team confidence in every data decision. The architecture was designed not just to meet today’s demands, but to seamlessly adapt as Purview’s capabilities evolve, guaranteeing resilience against potential threats and regulatory shifts.  

The result was a robust, flexible and secure governance model that’s highly replicable across other regulatory bodies, government agencies and enterprises. Ultimately, this solution proves that, with the right expertise, security and innovation can coexist to transform complex data estates into agile, transparent, and insight-driven ones. 

Key Benefits

• Enhanced Data Discovery and Trust: Analysts can now instantly locate and access certified data assets across the enterprise through a unified catalogue, eliminating silos and ensuring every dataset is both findable and verifiable before use.  

• Improved Data Quality and Integrity: Automated monitoring flags inconsistencies, while targeted improvement workflows ensure that only accurate, complete, and up-to-date information is used in critical regulatory decisions.  

• Streamlines Access Controls: Role-based access controls, enforcement of the principle of least privilege, and comprehensive audit trails all ensure appropriate data access while preventing unauthorised breaches and maintaining visibility across the organisation.  

• Enhanced Governance and Compliance: Centralised stewardship and clear ownership models enable consistent policy enforcement, helping the organisation meet regulatory requirements and respond effectively to new legislative demands.  

• Future-Ready, Scalable Architecture: Built to adapt with Microsoft’s Purview roadmap, the solution can seamlessly integrate new capabilities, handle growing data volumes, and maintain peak security performance as threats and compliance standards evolve.  

“This project is a powerful demonstration that, by adopting the cutting-edge capabilities of Microsoft Purview, regulatory organisations can optimise data control and classification without compromising security and operational efficiency. By designing a private deployment tailored to government-grade standards, we gave their analysts the tools and confidence to discover, trust, and act on their data – setting them up for the future of effective, data-driven regulation.”

 

Ash Armstrong
Chief Technology Officer, Simpson Associates

Conclusion

This transformation proves government bodies can embrace innovation while meeting their regulatory and operational requirements. With Microsoft Purview implemented, the organisation now operates with confidence, bridging the gap between data governance requirements and modern data management. Analysts work smarter, focusing on high-value insight generation instead of time-consuming data hunting, making faster, more accurate, and reliable decisions.  

This is more than modernisation – it’s a replicable blueprint for efficient, insight-driven regulation in the digital age, powered by Microsoft Purview.