What we do, and why we do it.
Decaf Data is a small, experienced team working with organisations that take data governance seriously. This is what we believe, and how we work.
Governance done in separate pieces tends not to work.
Organisations invest in governance tools, engage consultants, and run training sessions. Often, a year later, the catalogue is half-finished, the consultant has moved on, and the training is a distant memory.
It is rarely a capability problem or a commitment problem. The more common issue is that the tool, the methodology, and the ongoing capability are not moving together. and sustaining that combination over time is harder than it sounds.
"We built Decaf Data to be the thing we kept wishing existed. a platform, a methodology, and an ongoing relationship that actually stay connected."
The Decaf Data platform grew out of years of hands-on governance work. The methodology came first. built up through real engagements, refined over time, tested across different organisations and sectors. The platform operationalises that methodology. The advisory practice keeps it moving.
The model looks different from what most organisations are used to buying. It is not a software subscription. It is not a consulting project. It is an ongoing partnership with a clear purpose: to move your governance program forward, consistently, month on month.
We work with mid-market organisations across government, financial services, professional services, and not-for-profit. where the governance mandate is real but the appetite for large-scale enterprise tooling is not.
Four principles that shape everything we build and deliver.
A tool without methodology gets abandoned. Consulting without a tool produces documents that gather dust. Training without reinforcement changes nothing. We deliver all three together because that is the only version that works.
Every governance program is at a different point. Some clients need a framework before they can touch a platform. Others are ready to go straight in. We meet each organisation where it actually is and build from there.
The advisory relationship is not a project engagement. It is a standing arrangement where expertise is always available, always planning ahead, and always focused on what moves the program forward next. That is a fundamentally different dynamic to a consulting contract.
The platform exists to make your governance progress concrete. Coverage improving month on month, terms being defined, ownership being established. The work should be visible and the trajectory should be clear. not just described in a status report.
Michael has spent more than 20 years working in data management and governance across government, financial services, and the private sector in Australia. He has helped organisations at every stage of the journey. from building the initial business case through to running mature governance programs across multiple domains.
Decaf Data is a direct product of that experience. The platform, the advisory practice, and the training offer are all built on methodology developed through years of hands-on delivery, not designed in the abstract. Every feature in the platform reflects a real problem that real governance teams face.
Michael leads all client advisory work, program design, and platform strategy. Every client relationship is his responsibility from the first conversation onwards.
Want to understand if we are the right fit?
Tell us about your organisation and where your governance program is today. We will give you an honest view of whether working together makes sense.
Get in touch