Tag Archives: Data Architecture
How Do Organizations Become “Information-Enabled”? Part 1
The first thing I would like to do is dispel a myth that many people believe. That is, being information-enabled or competing with data means analytics or BI. This is only partially true.
Analytics is one of the methods an organization uses to compete on information. For example, with analytics you can analyze buying behavior and leverage the information to better promote products. To truly be information-enabled, an organization must control the information across operational (transaction) systems as well as analytic solutions.
In the world of analytics, most organizations invest a significant amount of time and effort cleansing data from operational systems before it moves into a data warehouse. Thus, enabling higher quality analytics where reporting can be performed. However, the “cleansing” effort is rarely reflected back into the source/operational systems. This plays into the unwritten rule of IT that bad data doubles at the rate of good data. (more…)
Why Hasn’t The Information Challenge Been Solved?
When I speak with most senior executives at companies, they highlight the “value gap” in information. According to the PriceWaterhouseCoopers 12th Annual Global CEO Survey in January 2009:
“…CEOs still see major gaps in the information they need to survive the next 12 months and make decisions about the long-term success of their businesses. CEOs believe that agility, customer service, talent, management and reputation are the four most important factors in long-term competitive advantage. Not surprisingly, most also believe that data about their customers (94%), brand (91%) and employees (88%) are important or critical to long-term decision-making. However, strikingly low percentages of CEOs say they have comprehensive information in these and other critical areas that contribute to organisational agility. Just 21% have comprehensive information about the needs and preferences of customers and clients. Less than one third feel they have all the information they need about reputation (31%) and the views and needs of employees (30%).”
I would not expect the results of the PWC survey to be a surprise to anyone in IT. With that said however, why aren’t IT professionals surprised? If they truly know this is the reality for companies, why hasn’t the value gap in information been solved?
Here are my views on this: (more…)