Enterprise Data Detox, 2021
As Darius Foroux explains, more technology doesn’t lead to more productivity. Digital minimalism eliminates distractions so you can be more productive. Digital detoxification can help eliminate bad habits and build good ones. For example, if you want to journal more in 2021, move Evernote to your phone’s home page and tuck Facebook and TikTok away. Or delete them. Small changes make help rewire habits.
Like apps on our mobile phones, many organizations have too much tech. An enterprise data detox can spark the formation of new habits.
So in 2021, take inventory. Listen to your partners. Prioritize tools. Eliminate distractions. Here are five healthy data habits you might consider.
Data hoarding discourages transparency, reduces collaboration, and stifles agility. More databases and more ETL encourage hoarding. Data virtualization breaks down silos by providing self-service access to data without moving it. KBTG Bank shows how it can provide self-service access in hours rather than months.
Accepting bad data is a habit that often goes undetected. Like junk in your attic, bad data accumulates. Master data management tools help create a culture of curation. For inspiration, read 50,000 Data Chiefs, which describes Panera Bread’s culture of trust. Their data curation culture helped them flip their business model upside-down in 14 days during COVID.
You’d be lost in a library without a card catalog. Similarly, many business users have trouble finding data. Enterprise data catalogs are the card catalog of the enterprise. They help business users find what they need without IT intervention.
Data scientists play in sandboxes that can create a big mess. Many companies don’t track models and the decisions being made by them. In 2021, watch for the rise of Model Ops and embedded AI tools that facilitate a more effective AI culture. Read The Data Science Ferrari and Model Ops 101 to learn more.
All companies are becoming more automated. Most don’t leverage the real-time insights the data reveals. They just store it in a database for after-the-fact forensics. Streaming analytics tools are easier to use now than ever. Read train-alytics to see how one company uses real-time data for innovative applications.
The new year is a good time for new habits. A culture of effective data management is a good place to start.
