If you're exploring test data management (TDM) solutions, you probably know your current practices aren't ideal, but you're skeptical investing in a solution is worth the budget and effort.

We hear the same concerns. The perception is that proper TDM is expensive, complicated, and takes months of painful implementation. You've probably heard or read things like: "you'll need consultants," "expect 6-month onboarding," or "the only option is to just build it yourself."

These beliefs exist for a reason. They’re the result of what most TDM solutions look like, heavy, complex, and designed for organizations with big budgets and teams. That’s when a lot of teams consider DIY options, thinking it’s easier, until it isn’t. Homegrown masking scripts consume resources, barely meet your need for realistic data, and won't satisfy auditors.

But what if there was a better way?

The trade-off you've been asked to accept, enterprise complexity or DIY risk, isn't the only option.

Redgate Test Data Manager is designed for teams without enterprise budgets and dedicated resource. Automated PII discovery and masking, with time-to-value in minutes, not months.

Production copies might seem like the easy option, but they're a compliance risk or data breach waiting to happen. Effective TDM uses masking and subsetting to create secure, right-sized environments without the overhead.

DIY scripts might seem cheaper, until they go stale as databases evolve, leaving sensitive data exposed. There are hidden costs with DIY options. Purpose-built platforms offer proven de-identification, referential integrity, and realistic data alternatives that catch bugs before they hit production.

Your DBAs should be delivering value, not maintaining brittle scripts.

Compliant test data in minutes, not months

TDM solutions used to mean multi-week POCs and 6-month onboarding, but not anymore. Redgate Test Data Manager offers a free trial that installs in under 90 seconds - no consultants, no months of setup.

"We had Redgate Test Data Manager configured in less than a day, reducing a 20+ hour process to under 45 minutes." – Ben Wiggin, DBA 

TDM used to mean enterprise price tags or DIY and hope for the best. That's no longer the case.

Want to give it a try? Get your 28-day free trial of Redgate Test Data Manager, here.