4 years in, and continuing to drive change with data
Amongst the marketing hustle and bustle of big data and data science, I founded itelligent-i 4 years ago to help organisations use data to make a difference. The focus of my intentions then, and still now, is to simply make data useable to everyone in an organisation, and ensure it enables easier decision making at all levels. Having constructed some of the largest data programmes in Local Government, using Microsoft’s fabulously secure Azure platform, we have seen significant success and continued to grow our team with private and public sector knowledge to meet an ever-growing demand. But why has itelligent-i made a difference?
I talk to many Public Sector organisations. Through sheer hard work, my team and I have grown a good reputation for our expertise and application. The real difference though has been supporting very complex organisations, UK Local Authorities, to not only use data better, but to understand and resolve the challenges and hurdles they will face when doing so.
Having tackled these issues a number of times in the last 4 years, itelligent-i has created an Information Strategy methodology for Local Authorities that resolves all aspects of using data securely, efficiently and effectively. And it’s never been more applicable to focus on people, process and tools. Technology, or people and process change, simply doesn’t work if implemented independently.
The technology for publishing useable data has never been better or more secure. So now we have the tools, we need to develop the capabilities and invest in people and analytical skill in our organisations to enable this change to happen. The business challenges facing complex organisations, and certainly UK Local Government, have changed so significantly over the last 5 years (and will continue to) that the need to answer ever more complex questions is very real. We need a different, and more appropriate skillset to make use of our data assets.
As just one example of many, itelligent-i consultants are working on understanding the rising problem of homelessness - who? why? how? – if we can understand these questions using demographics, geography and propensity profiles then we can implement the interventions that will reduce cost and improve the lives of local people. The data is available. We need to develop the right people, process and tools to securely and intelligently translate and publish useable data.
Organisations are expecting more and more from their data analysts, yet the challenges aren’t being heard. We continuously see huge data quality issues, that bring risk, which in turn brings uncertainty. We see the need for (actual) statistical analytics, and simply 'good' analytics but organisations that have never invested in the right people. These challenges can’t be ignored and they do require investment. A quick Excel or Access implementation by the IT department is not going to solve anything. And by the way, you need data to be accessible and of suitable quality to really see the benefit of Predictive Analytics and AI (or Prescriptive Analytics for those with sufficient knowledge!).
With the explosion of Digital Transformation and the technology platforms that under pin it, organisations are becoming ever more 'data rich', but they still focus on ‘how many?’ rather than ‘why?’. Worse, they still don’t consider the data needed to answer their questions and they even often forget to ask the simple questions of technology vendors; ‘can I access my data?’!
Answering many of the UKs biggest challenges will rely on the analytical skills of our Data & Insight Analysts. In the next 5 years, I suggest there will be a significant shift in how Local Government views its data people. itelligent-i is on the front line, where almost weekly I see the look on executives and senior leaders faces change as they see data presented in a useable, and clear manner. Consequently, we’re seeing significant investment made by those organisations who understand Digital Transformation, and how to use data to significantly better their understanding of issues, and how to improve their approach to business challenges.
If I base it on the last 4 years, I’d say we’re going to see a new professional domain in our organisations, who are recognised for making significant changes and supporting the evolution of our organisations. They will be the unheard voices providing real insight from data, to help to improve services and quality of life for people like you and I.