Data Science and Supply Chain Modernization
Avi Bender
Executive Advisor for Data Driven Business Process Innovation. Former Director of NTIS, and the first CTO of the US Census Bureau, US Department of Commerce.
When we “modernize” IT, what exactly is being upgraded or improved? Are we improving the performance of applications through hardware and infrastructure upgrades? Are we improving underlying systems to work more securely and more reliably by using emerging technologies?
From a technical perspective, of course, the answer is often yes – faster, more stable, and more secure. But all too often, we miss an opportunity during these investment cycles to consider the bigger questions. Yes, we’re building wheels to run more smoothly, but do we know where our car is going – what’s its bigger purpose or strategic value?
After considering a bigger perspective and simplifying, we can see that almost every government agency operates a supply chain, which involves the delivery of products and services to benefit the public. These supply chains typically involve data – big data. Data is the lifeblood, which is collected, processed, analyzed, and applied to make decisions that affect the production of services and products. Whether its health, safety, space exploration – moving data or manipulating data have become vital to meeting the larger mission goals.
When we routinely “modernize” legacy technologies while ignoring data supply chains, aren’t we really just changing tires but failing to consider if we’re driving in the right direction?
Many of the emerging data science innovations, which include Blockchain and machine learning advancements, are potentially transformational because they inform these data flows and innovate the data flows through disintermediation or radical transformation of the data lifecycle process involving collection, processing, analysis, and dissemination. So, before our conversations about upgrading tires or improving server room technologies, I believe that we should be rethinking and focused more on digital supply chains... ensuring that we’re driving data flows to the best destinations with the greatest return for our mission goals.
New data technologies will help us discover unforeseen pathways, leverage new ways to combine big data, and deliver public services in unprecedented ways – which not only “modernize” our IT efficiencies, but also deliver more effective solutions for our customers, the American public.
Avi Bender is the Director of NTIS, a Bureau within the Department of Commerce that has a Joint Venture Partnership with the private sector to deliver innovative data solutions to Federal agencies.
Consultora
6 年Yes, big data, IA and for supply chain efective solutions sourcing opportunities from anywhere in the Planet
Experienced data science, analytics and insights specialist, finding and unlocking value for organisations across industry
6 年Shaun Donoghue Andy B Richardson MBCS
Azure Data Engineer | Azure Data Factory, Azure Databricks, SQL, Python and more | ?? Reduced data processing times from days to minutes. Writes about data, business, and personal growth.
6 年This is so true in the supply chain space!
Maybe the word "legacy" should've been in quotation marks. Your work is going to create a quantum leap in how fast solutions will show up.
AI Artisan | Redefining Science + Art with Bold Vision + Black Coffee | Relentless Forward Progress
6 年Its also harder (and take longer) to modernize the IT workforce. Especially getting the right kind of leaders in the right place at the right time. Innovation happens at the right intersection of business, people, and technology -- but timing is often overlooked. Evolutionary gains get to a point, then its time to leapfrog. Sunk cost bias in thinking, training, and doing often inhibits the ability to throw that car away and decide what direction to move in... and not constrain themselves with the type of vehicle. Maybe another question is how to think big and bold -- not move across the world, but make the world come to meet you at your vision.