How can you use data to inform your peer support efforts?

Usage drives relevance. When looking to support others, look to see what they are using to drive their work. Especially in cases where there are redundant information sources, looking to the lineage data for reports and dashboards can indicate the level of relevance that they have to your peers. One way to help peers is to remove unneeded sources of conflict and confusion. If you have data sources that are rarely or never used, removing them from the data landscape is a discussion worth having. There can also be cost reductions associated with the changes that can benefit the enterprise as a whole. If the dats source reflects outlier data, perhaps it is not needed and can be removed.

Data audits to determine usage, accuracy, and timeliness of data collected is a valuable periodic exercise. When you look at the data you are collecting, it is important to understand how much, if any, of it is of value to the enterprise as well as the risk it poses to the enterprise based on its nature. Reviewing business needs and data strategy should be an annual endeavor if not more frequent. Data can be an asset or liability and it is important to understand need and risk when deciding what to collect and store. If it serves no business purpose and poses a risk, its collection should be considered for sunsetting and its storage for purging.

Generally speaking, data represents cost, risk, and benefit for an enterprise. Basic needs audit structures make sense for managing enterprise data strategy. Knowing the junction points of data and business purpose on an ongoing basis is one key to success in the modern business age. Data needs are dynamic as are data sources, so constant examination and evaluation are necessary to ensure that a company's data strategy is reasonable and relevant to the factors that affect the business. While nobody likes having to do nearly constant analysis, in the internet age it is a necessity for a successful business. With the high speed of innovation comes the necessity for vigilance in data management.