---
title: "GUIDE"
url: "https://atlan.com/resources/ultimate-guide-evaluating-data-catalog/"
description: "The AI era demands a new data foundation. This guide provides five steps for finding the right modern data catalog to meet those demands and scale AI effectively."
keywords: "atlan, data catalog"
---

> Atlan is hosting Context Conference, bringing together the leaders and builders at the frontier of giving AI the context it needs to understand their business. It runs online on October 28, 2026, from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM ET. Atlan co-founder Prukalpa Sankar opens and closes the day. Leaders from AstraZeneca, BNY and Verizon share why they invest in context and what they get from it. Registrants get early access to The AI Context Gap, a new study from MIT Technology Review Insights. Register: https://atlan.com/context-conference/

**The Ultimate Guide to Evaluating a Data Catalog for the AI Era** (guide, gated). 5 steps to finding the right modern data catalog for your organization. Get the guide through the form on the page: [Download the Guide](https://atlan.com/resources/ultimate-guide-evaluating-data-catalog/).

Trusted by leaders; customers shown: Nasdaq, Medtronic, Affirm, Workday, Purple, General Motors, Urban Outfitters.

## Inside the guide

Discover the five steps to finding the right data catalog for your organization - and then some.

1. **The problem. Enterprise AI has a problem:** why 95% of AI pilots fail in production, and how context can help.
2. **The context mandate. No context = no AI:** the context mandate for AI - from quality signals to governance guardrails.
3. **Context infrastructure. All about context infrastructure:** how a context layer goes beyond the capabilities of traditional catalogs.
4. **Evaluation keys. Keys to catalog evaluation:** what to prioritize when choosing the right catalog solution.
5. **The framework. The evaluation framework:** five steps to assessing data catalogs and setting yourself up for success.
6. **Choosing a partner:** going beyond a vendor relationship, and establishing a true partnership.

## 5 steps to choosing the right data catalog

How to run a seamless evaluation, demo, and POC process.

## The problem: why traditional data catalogs are falling short

Despite massive investments, most AI initiatives never make it to production - not because of weak models, but because of missing context. As organizations race to scale AI, choosing a catalog that can deliver governed, machine-readable metadata can be the difference between AI that works and AI that fails.

## The solution: our approach

1. **Define organizational needs:** identify the top 3 challenges.
2. **Customize evaluation criteria:** map capabilities to organizational needs.
3. **Read the market:** understand vendors and their offerings.
4. **Take demos:** dive deep into a small vendor set.
5. **Run a hands-on POC:** understand which platform is best for you with a real use case.

## Preview the book

- Introduction: No Context? No AI.
- Chapter 1: Define organizational needs for a data catalog
- Chapter 2: Create customized evaluation criteria
- Chapter 3: Understand the vendors and market offerings
- Chapter 4: Take demos from modern data catalog vendors
- Chapter 5: Execute a hands-on POC

## Related resources

- [The Ultimate Guide to Evaluating Data Lineage](https://atlan.com/resources/evaluate-data-lineage/) (guide): the 21 questions to ask - and gotchas to watch out for - when evaluating data lineage.
- [The Data Catalog Primer for Enterprise AI](https://atlan.com/resources/data-catalog-primer/) (guide): how data catalogs have evolved, and where they're going next in the age of AI.
- [Forrester Wave for Data Governance Solutions](https://atlan.com/forrester-wave/) (report): why Forrester analysts named Atlan a Leader in data governance solutions.
- [The State of Enterprise Data and AI](https://atlan.com/know/state-of-enterprise-data-ai-2025/) (blog): insights from 550+ data leaders on context and AI readiness.
- [Magic Quadrant for Data & Analytics Governance Platforms](https://atlan.com/gartner-magic-quadrant-data-governance-2026/) (report): Gartner recognized Atlan as a Leader in D&A governance platforms.
- [Shift-Left Timeline for Governance by Design](https://atlan.com/know/regovern-shift-left-governance-guide/) (blog): how companies like General Motors embed data governance from the start.