Oma Savings Bank strengthens clarity around data governance responsibilities
Oma Savings Bank has developed its data governance together with its long-term partner Evitec Solutions. According to the bank, the most important change has taken place in roles and responsibilities: data owners and data stewards now have a clearer understanding of their own duties.
Data governance refers to the principles, responsibilities and ways of working through which an organisation manages the lifecycle of data and ensures its quality. In practice, it means agreeing who is responsible for data, how data is handled, how its quality is monitored and how identified shortcomings are corrected.
Banking is built on trust. Reliable data is needed for risk management, decision-making and regulatory reporting. That is why a bank must know where its data comes from, how it has been processed and whether the figures it presents are correct.
Evitec has been a partner to Oma Savings Bank for several years. Together, the companies have developed digital lending solutions and investment services for the bank, as well as implemented a system for the bank’s mortgage credit operations. Evitec has also supported Oma Savings Bank in data and analytics development initiatives. The development of data governance continues this long-standing cooperation.
The current state guided the development work
According to Pekka Vimpari, project manager for the initiative at Oma Savings Bank, the work began with the need to understand the current state of data governance. The bank wanted to gain an overall view of the situation across different functions and reports so that development measures could be focused on what mattered most.
The first discussions on developing data governance took place in spring 2025. Evitec’s experienced data consultant Elina Heikkilä joined the work in autumn 2025 and contributed to the current-state assessment and the preparation of development measures.
The work started with the data and functions that are essential for the bank’s management, reporting and regulatory requirements. The objective was to ensure that owners had been defined for critical data and that data quality was monitored consistently. The current state was assessed using nearly 70 indicators. The assessment also considered the bank’s own needs, for example in relation to data quality testing.
Interviews with business functions and management were used to clarify the current state, target state and required development measures. During the development phase, the business functions carried out their own measures, with support from Evitec.
Clearer responsibilities and practices strengthen data quality management
During the development phase, Oma Savings Bank and Evitec jointly prepared data governance principles and guidelines to support both management and day-to-day work. The work clarified responsibilities and decision-making and defined shared practices for documentation, quality management, reporting and, above all, data governance across the different stages of the data lifecycle.
The guidelines also defined responsibilities and practices for measuring and monitoring data quality. Monthly data quality reporting and regular follow-up meetings have brought data governance into the bank’s continuous management practices.
— The most significant change has been the increased understanding among data owners and data stewards. People now have a clearer view of what their role means and what they need to do, Vimpari says.
Vimpari emphasises that practices should help people focus on what is essential. He considers it important that data governance requirements are proportionate to the criticality and intended use of the data.
The work has also highlighted the importance of carefully planned testing. According to Vimpari, testing data and reporting requires attention to different data quality dimensions, such as accuracy and completeness, so that testing is sufficiently comprehensive.
— The work has helped us identify data quality deviations proactively. This has contributed to increased trust in data and reduced manual investigation work. The exercise has delivered concrete benefits, says Ville Rissanen, Director of Digital Services at Oma Savings Bank.
Trust and persistence in cooperation
Data governance in the financial sector is one of Evitec’s core areas of expertise, combining financial-sector business understanding, data quality management and technology expertise. The work requires an understanding of both regulatory needs and how data governance is carried out in everyday work.
Evitec’s Elina Heikkilä has actively driven the development work forward. She has proposed practical ways to implement the work, built guidelines together with Vimpari and followed up on the progress of agreed actions. The bank’s own team has been responsible for business-related decisions and the implementation of development measures.
— We have done this together with the customer. The bank knows its own operations, and at Evitec we have helped clarify what is needed and how things can be implemented in practice. At the same time, we make sure the work keeps moving forward, Heikkilä says.
— We found a good way of working together right from the start. Elina has persistence and a strong willingness to move things forward. There has been a high level of trust between us, and we have been able to complement each other’s expertise. We have also had fun along the way, Pekka Vimpari says.
The development of data governance continues, and the work is intended to be expanded to other functions. Vimpari sees the strengthened competence as valuable for future initiatives as well. The same data owners and data stewards can take data governance requirements into account from the very beginning of new projects.
Evitec’s goal is to help its financial-sector customers renew their business through data and artificial intelligence. Clear data governance practices and reliable data create the foundation for this.
Oma Savings Bank
Oma Savings Bank Plc (OmaSp) is a Finnish bank serving more than 200,000 private and corporate customers through 48 branches and digital channels. Personal service is central to the customer experience. Oma Savings Bank is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.
Evitec Solutions
Evitec Solutions is a Nordic technology company specialising in financial-sector software, AI solutions, data and consulting. We help banks and insurance companies renew their business by combining technology with human insight. With more than 30 years of experience, around 300 experts in Finland, Sweden and Estonia, and deep financial-sector expertise, Evitec Solutions is a trusted long-term partner for developing critical digital services and data-driven ways of working.