Does the data mesh make data integration harder?

Data mesh is a decentralized approach to data management that challenges traditional centralized systems by distributing data responsibilities across domain-specific teams within an organization, potentially improving data integration quality if implemented correctly. While it risks creating unintegrated data silos due to a lack of centralized impetus for integration, it leverages domain experts who understand data context, facilitating effective integration at the source. This approach can enhance integration efforts by attaching global identifiers early in the data pipeline and distributing integration tasks to scale with organization growth. Successful implementation hinges on strong leadership, incentives for data product creators, and an architectural infrastructure that encourages integration, ultimately making integrated data more valuable and popular within the organization.