Breaking down silos: Driving value creation through data

Welcome to our latest newsletter, where we tackle the topic of breaking down data silos to create value. Our expert Simone Andreani shares his three-step strategy towards value creation through data, and our GIS Data Engineer Jere Virolainen gives you the insider scoop on how it's achieved in a data specialist's day-to-day work.

Plus, get some tips on effective communication, and understanding and optimising (spatial) data.

Get ready to join the data revolution! ??

Making data everyone's business

Data is increasingly crucial for businesses to create value, but technology alone can't help in achieving that. The key is to understand the potential of data and integrate it into the heart of a company's strategy – only afterwards choose the appropriate tools.

Simone Andreani , our Business Lead, discusses the role of data in driving business success and maximising value creation.

Data that drives value is not just IT's job anymore; all business functions need to understand the potential of data and take ownership of their data to make informed decisions.

Data is everyone's business

Simone shares his three-step strategy on to how begin the cultural shift and harness the power of data across the organisation:

1. Eliminate silos.?Unlock the full potential of data by fostering collaboration and open communication across departments, specifically between IT and other business functions.
2. Promote data-drivenness.?Promote a culture that prioritises data by educating all employees on its value, teaching them how it can improve decision-making and drive success through training, educational programs, and ongoing data analysis.
3. Assess and?optimise?data utilisation. Review the organisation's data usage and identify areas for optimisation. Utilise both internal and external data sources to maximise their effectiveness and ensure that data is being leveraged.

How is this reflected in the day-to-day work of our data experts? Read our GIS Data Engineer's thoughts. ??

Specialist's corner

Jere Virolainen our talented GIS Data Engineer, shares his insights on the exciting role. From spatial analysis to designing and executing data flows, Jere breaks down the fundamental practices in his day-to-day work.

First,?communication

A GIS Data Engineer must possess strong communication skills to effectively work with multiple teams and stakeholders – breaking down silos. It's crucial to have a good understanding of the business's needs to design and develop solutions that meet their requirements.

Adjust your language to your audience. When speaking with business or technical professionals, use language that is accessible and avoid relying on GIS jargon. Adaptability in communication is key.

Second, understand your data

Designing and executing data flow and integration require an in-depth understanding of the data being used. It's essential to conduct a thorough examination of the data and its features.

When dealing with spatial data, knowledge of its geographical and spatial properties is crucial. For instance, the area calculation may vary significantly based on the use of a projected or geographical coordinate system.

Things to consider when working with spatial data:

• How much data is there? Crucial for optimizing e.g. the performance of Spatial Analysis, Databases and Web Mapping Applications
• What is the geographical location of the data, and how widely is it spread geographically?
• What is the nature of the data? Vector or raster data, are we talking about polygons, points, lines or all of them? Are they used in 2D or 3D coordinates?
• What are the final?use-cases?for the data?

?? Check out our blog to learn more about the topic.