An EDP should empower business users. Without the need for IT assistance. However, setting it up for the first time is a different story. IT is integral in the setup and deployment process. The foundational element of an EDP is the integration of data sources and data destinations. This requires buy-in and sponsorship from a CIO level.And as an ongoing collaborative effort, we have seen that IT support is critical. Integration errors, data flow updates, new systems being introduced - all of this requires the support of your IT Team.However, as you might have seen here - IT is critical in playing a support role - but not an active day-to-day role. Your EDP should be yours. It should be something that gives you the freedom and flexibility to build flows and engage employees on your own.