Is Microsoft Purview Enough on Its Own? The Role of People, Process and Platform

Microsoft Purview has quickly become a go-to platform for organisations looking to strengthen data governance. With capabilities for data discovery, classification, cataloguing and policy enforcement, it promises visibility and control across complex, hybrid data estates. It is easy to see why many teams assume that implementing Purview means governance is handled.

However, technology alone is not enough for data governance. Microsoft Purview can automate and support many governance activities, but it cannot define ownership, create accountability or embed responsible data practices across an organisation. Without clear roles, processes and standards in place, even the most advanced tools struggle to deliver lasting value. In reality, effective data governance depends on three elements working together: people, process and platform. Purview is a powerful enabler, but it is only one part of the picture.

This blog explores what Microsoft Purview actually does, where it adds value, and why organisations still need strong governance fundamentals in place before technology can truly succeed.

What is Microsoft Purview and what does it automate in a data governance programme?

Microsoft Purview is Microsoft’s unified data governance, compliance and data security platform. It helps your organisations discover, understand and control data across cloud, on premises and SaaS environments from a single place. At its core, Purview provides the visibility and automation you need to manage modern, distributed data estates at scale. Rather than relying on manual spreadsheets or disconnected tools, your teams can use Purview to create a central view of what data exists, where it lives and how it is being used.

In a data governance programme, Purview can automate many operational tasks that would otherwise be time consuming for your data teams. These include:

Scanning and discovering data assets across systems.
Classifying sensitive or personal information automatically.
Building a searchable data catalogue.
Mapping lineage to show how data moves and transforms.
Applying access policies and compliance controls.
Monitoring risk and security posture.

These capabilities significantly reduce manual effort and make governance more scalable and sustainable.

But what does Purview not do?

It does not define ownership, set policy, assign accountability or decide how data should be managed across the organisation. Those responsibilities sit with a proper data governance framework, not technology.

Why is Microsoft Purview not enough on its own for data governance?

As mentioned above, Microsoft Purview cannot not define who owns a dataset, agree common definitions across departments, or hold teams accountable for data quality. These are an integral part of a data governance programme, and they require leadership, clear processes and cultural change. Without these foundations, even the best technology quickly becomes underused. Catalogues go out of date, ownership fields remain blank and policies are created but never enforced. Over time, trust in the platform drops and governance becomes reactive rather than strategic for your organisation.

Organisations that treat it as the whole solution often struggle to realise value. Those that combine strong governance practices with the right tooling are the ones that see lasting improvements in trust, compliance and AI readiness. While Purview is excellent at enabling the people and the processes of a data governance framework, the platform should only be implemented after your people and processes are fully defined.

How to build a successful data governance framework for Microsoft Purview

Strong data governance is built on a balance of people, process and platform working together. When one element is missing, governance quickly becomes inconsistent, reactive or difficult to scale. When all three are aligned, governance becomes embedded into everyday work rather than treated as a separate compliance exercise.

People: Ownership and accountability

Data governance starts with people. Every critical dataset in your organisation’s data should have a clear owner who is responsible for its quality, definition and appropriate use. Data stewards help maintain standards, review classifications and ensure policies are applied consistently. Data Custodians make sure the company’s data is maintained and stored in a secure location, preventing any unauthorised access. Leaders set expectations around responsible data use and prioritise governance as a business capability, not just an IT task.

Without these people, issues fall through the gaps. Data quality problems remain unresolved, sensitive information is shared too widely, and no one is accountable when something goes wrong. Tools like Microsoft Purview can show where risks exist, but only people can make decisions and take action.

Process: Standards and ways of working

Once you have got people that can take ownership, the next step for your organisation is developing repeatable processes that guide how data is managed. This includes agreed standards for naming, classification and quality, onboarding processes for new data sources, access approval workflows, retention policies and regular reviews. These processes ensure governance is applied consistently across all departments.

Having good processes also means that you set your organisation up for future scalability. There’s a clear and predictable way to control new systems, teams or AI use cases. Compliance becomes part of day-to-day operations instead of a last-minute check.

Platform: Enabling scale through Microsoft Purview

Microsoft Purview can add significant value when it’s building on the people and processes already in place. Microsoft Purview can scan environments, surface sensitive data, maintain a central catalogue, track lineage and apply policies consistently across cloud and on premises systems. With a no-code/low code environment in place to monitor the health of your data, Purview makes data quality an automated governance process. Tasks that would take weeks manually can be completed in hours. Purview reduces manual effort, improves visibility and provides the evidence needed for audit and compliance. Purview is at its best when it’s supporting a framework and not building one.

Conclusion: Bringing it all together

In the end, technology can only perform at its complete potential when it’s implemented on a strong foundation. Microsoft Purview is a strong platform for modern data governance but it’s not your whole data governance framework. The most successful organisations treat Microsoft Purview as an enabler, not a replacement for governance fundamentals. They establish strong foundations first and then use the platform to automate, scale and sustain those controls.

When people, processes and platform work together, data becomes trusted, compliant and ready to support analytics and AI. This alignment transforms your data into a high-value asset, driving measurable efficiency and long-term consistency.

How Simpson Associates can help you

As a Microsoft Solutions Partner and Microsoft Partner of the Year award winner, Simpson Associates helps organisations design and implement practical, sustainable data governance frameworks. From defining ownership and processes to configuring Microsoft Purview and embedding best practice, we ensure governance delivers real outcomes rather than just new technology.

If you are considering Microsoft Purview, have a look at our range of Microsoft Purview Consulting services, our guide to choosing the right purview partner or get in touch with us via email or live chat.