the next #3: Data Culture, 3 Questions to Stefanie Babka, Data Culture Lead @ Merck, Research, Links and more.

Welcome to the next #3 ??

This edition of the next is dedicated to the important topic of Data Culture. As more companies are adopting data and AI technology in their business, the need for establishing a culture around data-driven decisions prominently emerged over the last years. In BARC s recent Data, BI and Analytics Trend Monitor 2022 data culture was featured within the top 3 trends in the analytics market - consecutively for the last three years.

Without a doubt, there is a significant human component to having success with data and AI in your company. This is underpinned by many studies such as the 2020 State of AI Study from 麦肯锡 or the 2021 Big Data and AI Executive Survey from NewVantage Partners | A Wavestone Company that states that "more than 92% [of respondents] attribute the principal challenge to becoming data-driven to people, business processes, and culture, with only 8% identifying technology limitations as the barrier."

These findings go hand in hand with what I observe in the market. While many companies started investing heavily in technology and infrastructure, only a few also identified people as a key component of their data and AI strategy. I am sure, that this is about to (and must) change as more companies are bringing their AI solutions into the business.

Bottom line: People matter in AI.

??? 3 Questions about Data Culture to Stefanie Babka, Data Culture Lead at Merck

Recently, I had the opportunity to work with Stefanie Babka , Data Culture Lead at Merck Group on their Data Culture initiative. She and her team are working at the intersection of Merck's Group Data Strategy and the important topic of Data Culture.

Me: "Stefanie, what does Data Culture mean to you?"

Stefanie: “Data Culture is what remains of the transformation when no one is watching. It is a skillset and mindset. Or to put it in another way: When data-driven thinking is so firmly anchored in corporate culture that?it has become a habit and is deeply embedded in our ways of working.”

Me: "What is Merck doing to foster its Data Culture?"

Stefanie: "Data Culture is not something you can just turn on - or buy into. It's a journey. We're fighting on three fronts:

1. Change: This is our change communication with which we are aiming to spread data love at Merck for example through a wide range of storytelling formats in podcasts, newsletters, knowledge sharing sessions or explanatory videos. Currently we are working on an inspiration engine – helping employees which are new to the topic to understand the art of the possible.
2. Community: We offer a variety of community activities in the area of Data & Digital. From pure tech communities to communities for managers, a broad spectrum is covered. We just hit 1500 members in our internal Data & Analytics community which is an amazing achievement of our community managers.
3. Capabilities: We drive overall Data Literacy at Merck and enable our data talents to keep up to speed with the latest technologies and trends through exchange formats and Merck specific trainings but also development opportunities within the company. We have also developed a role framework?for Data & Analytics roles and offer different career and training paths. And we are just ramping up our internal Merck Data & Digital Academy with trainings for starters, analysts and citizen data scientists as well as for leaders."

Me: "What advice would you give to leaders that are just getting started on their Data Culture?"

Stefanie: "Form alliances. There are data culture warriors in every company. If you find and unite them, you can achieve a lot together. We deliberately attach ourselves to existing processes and initiatives to sneak our strategic data topics in. From the recruiting and onboarding process to transformation activities or existing formats for management training, we incorporate our data strategy everywhere we can."

Me: "Stefanie, thank you very much for your valuable input on this important topic. From what I have seen and learned about Merck’s Group Data Strategy and its work on Data Culture I can say that you are playing at the forefront of the industry!"

Stefanie: "Thank you! And one important other thing on capabilities: We have a Data & Analytics talent pool, so if anyone reads this who is interested to work in a vibrant Science & Technology company like Merck on data topics feel free to ping me on Linkedin ??"

?? Link to Stefanie's profile

?? Study of the week: “Culture, Change, Communication” by appliedAI

This interesting whitepaper by appliedAI Initiative GmbH about “Culture, Change, and Communication” illustrates how to successfully implement AI in your organization and create a data and AI-friendly culture. Below, I've collected some key takeaways for you.

Build your AI application with the people in focus

Move from tech-centered to user-centered development, which ensures that AI programs do not feel like technology but behave and feel supportive and safe.

Empower your organization

1. Lay out the direction - Your team needs to understand the rationale and embrace the why of the direction
2. Change processes - Shift your KPIs from milestones to innovation and exploration measures
3. Generate momentum - Build momentum by focusing on easy early success
4. Build skills - Have “translators” in organizations that can bring AI, IT, and domain experts and leaders together. “AI Literacy” is needed to communicate effectively about AI
5. Setting up the right org structure - The suggestion within the White Paper is the right balance between central coordination and decentralized ownership

This interesting and well-conducted research by appliedAI also illustrates why end-users mistrust AI solutions and features many references and insights from other studies. Furthermore, it includes practical guidance on how to empower your organization with AI.

??Link to the full study

?? Can. Do. Want. A quick intro to our take on Data Culture at statworx, by Janine Kerner , Manager AI Strategy

There's no question that creating a data culture is hard. It takes time, effort, and a lot of patience. But our experience shows that it's worth it.?

A data culture - respectively data-driven decisions and actual usage of data-based tools - is fundamental in enabling organizations to make better decisions, improve communication and collaboration, and increase profits.?

However, creating a data culture is not a one-time event. It's an ongoing process that requires continuous attention and investment. During our projects we identified three key aspects to focus on as you work to create a lasting data culture in your organization:?

• Skills (Can): What skills and capabilities do employees and the organization need to have that enable them to deal effectively with data??
• Behavior (Do): What kind of behavior do organizations and their employees show when dealing with data?
• Mindset (Want): What are the attitudes and intentions of staff and the organization as a collective towards using data??

All of the former three aspects need dedicated attention and programs to spark and guide the culture of a company in a data-driven direction. If you're interested to learn more, feel free to approach Janine or me here on LinkedIn.

?? Link to Janine's profile

?? 3 LinkedIn Gems

• Collecting data is one topic; making the right decisions from it is another story. You can download the complete e-book “Big Data Demystified” here ???Link to post
• Here is a step-by-step guide for executives on how to build a viable AI strategy for your business ???Link to post
• According to Forrester there are some new waves on the horizon that you should watch out for when it comes to AI ???Link to post

?? Events and announcements

This week, you can meet me at the Digital Festival in Zürich. Together with Stephan Müller and Fran Peric from our Swiss team, I will host a workshop on NLP and its business applications. Furthermore, I will be joining a panel on "Bias in AI" on Wednesday by Allen & Overy at the Jewish Museum in Frankfurt; Dr. Maria A. Boerner , thank you for the invitation! Lastly, I will be attending a Masterclass on Data-driven Commerce at DMEXCO - Digital Marketing Expo & Conference together with Dr. Benedikt Kasper and Dr. Oliver Bohl .

?? About

My name is Sebastian, I am the founder and CEO of?statworx , one of the leading companies for data science, machine learning and AI in the German-speaking region. I am a board member of?AI Frankfurt Rhein-Main e.V. ?and an active business angel for AI start-ups. In my spare time, I love to travel, cook and make music with my drum computer ??????

Get in touch:?If you want to connect, or you're looking for an exchange or in-depth discussion, feel free to contact me through LinkedIn. I am always there to help!

???Link to my profile