Shifting the data (perspective)

I recently caught up with fellow DAMA Australia board members, Liz Daykin and Andy Peyton , over a coffee and a conversation about how to solve all the data problems of the world.??

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One of the key themes was?what?#DAMAAustralia can?do to?elevate how the data management profession is perceived, and the critical work data management professionals undertake?across Australia.??

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Liz Daykin Daykin made the comment that executives inherently understand the importance of data – as consumers of data. Executives live and breathe reports and dashboards, apply analytical skills to interpret, and make decisions based on the data they consume as end users. Data analytics and data science are generally understood by execs. Execs?generally?are data consumers par excellence.?

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However, this focus on the outputs of data, and putting energy into better products for data consumers is missing the mark – particularly in a world when?#GenAI?will fundamentally upend established ways of working.?

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There are few industries where the primary focus is 'just' on the final product. From hospitality to manufacturing, executive focus is always on managing the process of production and creation. The ingredients in a Michelin starred meal are carefully sourced, selected, and through carefully controlled process and methods, transformed into an amazing experience. There are very good reasons why the Toyota Corolla was the world's best-selling car for decades.?Toyota was ranked as sixth most valuable brand in the world, ahead of Mercedes Benz.??

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Toyota, it's business model and operations, are well researched and discussed examples of?organisational?success. From?jidoka?('autonomous automation') to kaizen (iterative continuous improvement), Toyota's brand is built on?reliability. Each element and process are well understood and directly managed. Leaders can and should ensure there is attention to detail throughout the production cycle.

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Data management is another management approach to improving organisational operations and efficiency. It's not an esoteric philosophy. It's a management tool, one which substantially improves how your organisation runs and what can be achieved. There's real, demonstrable, and tangible value for?organisations?who get serious about improving their data management capability.?Macquarie is a great example?– by reducing their data stores from 8 to 1, they halved their operating costs.??

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I often talk to clients about data, and particularly where to focus executive attention and energy across?an organisation. Data management, and particularly the?DMBoK, is an agreed international standard for best practice in managing data. There's value in examining your current operating landscape against best practice.??

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Fundamentally, leaders should go back to the source to grapple with the data challenge facing many?organisations. Data is created because someone in your?organisation?did something as part of their way of working. Data management is partly about technology. It's partly about process. It's partly about people. The combination of technology, process and people place data management firmly as the 'way of working' in your?organisation. And this means data should be centred in the?sights of your executive attention. Data reported is an endpoint. Unless you understand how that data made its way from the moment of creation into a dashboard or report from the analytics team, you've likely excluded the very team that can provide the context on the reliability of the data presented.??

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And here's the glaring?business?risk – very, very few?organisations?have perfect data quality.?

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Data scientists and data analysts are important data professionals. The data they wrangle into meaningful insights requires good business practice be consistently and rigorously implemented and monitored. The data being?analysed?was managed into a form capable of being reported on.?Data management professionals are the bridge between?organisational?capabilities of technology, people, and process.??

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Reframe the data perspective - data management is just another way of doing good business. Identifying and managing the right way of doing things. Data management is all about improving process and constantly seeking ways to simplify the technology and data landscape. It's about creating the right way to do things, and embed better ways of working, identifying inefficiencies and reducing risk.?

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To make the most of?GenAI, you need to get your business data in order. Strong business fundamentals are always necessary and will never go out of fashion. Your data is core to your business fundamentals. It is also the greatest risk to your ability to 'go AI' in your future strategy. Getting to the AI starting line after strengthening your data management may not be as fast as is desirable, but the long term pay-off to competitive advantage or?organisational?outcomes will more than justify the investment in time, money, and people. Better data management practices strengthen?organisational?resilience over time.?

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Use best practice data management techniques to get the?organisation?ready for AI. When we say, "best practice data management techniques", it sounds like a whole new paradigm, which it's not.?Once you start to investigate data issues, you?realise?that data management solutions are just a better way to run your business. It's about evolving and adjusting processes, ensuring your people have the right knowledge and capabilities, ensuring the right technology suited to your context, and making sure there is sufficient oversight into what's going on. It is not esoteric capabilities we are talking about.?It's management and leadership.

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Bring your data management professionals into the right conversations?EARLY?so you can be working on how data can be best leveraged for business initiatives. Find ways to?shift?the data perspective from 'data producers'?("It was fine leaving me”) to?'data managers'?("I wonder if the data produced suits the people consuming”). If you can, create a dialogue with those who produce and those who consume the data.?

It is an accelerator for success, and proper planning to 'go?GenAI'.?

#leadership #management #dataleadership #datamanagement #genAI

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