Developing a Data Strategy

Data Strategy and Governance – your questions answered

By |2021-01-07T16:09:33+00:00January 7th, 2021|What I've done|

In the last of our 2020 webinars, Nicola and I collected a list of the questions we are asked the most, and made an attempt to answer then all. The video below has those and some questions from attendees on the day. You'll need to click into the blog entry to see the video panel. Wordpress doesn't show it on the preview. Who knows why! And because it was very close to Christmas, you'll see both of us have appropriate themed jumpers :) https://youtu.be/1DB_57sVDCM   This year, we'll be running free "Masterclass' sessions going deeper into specific data strategy and [...]

Putting the Data Strategy to work

By |2020-10-19T10:12:04+01:00October 19th, 2020|What I've done|

So much work on Data Strategies is wasted when they fail to launch. There are many reasons for this - and we'll get back to some of those in a later post - but the one I see the most often is the lack of any framework to 'land' the strategy on. In this masterclass, Nicola and I set out a pragmatic model for implementing Data Governance in support of a strategy. We discuss what needs to go into a framework, why there is no single framework for every organisation and the importance of leading with culture. We finish with an [...]

Why do I need a data strategy?

By |2020-09-18T14:41:18+01:00September 18th, 2020|What I've done|

Nicola Askham and I are running a series of webinars charting the path to a sustainable data culture. I really enjoy working with Nicola as we share the same passion for pragmatic and aligned data governance, while bringing different skills and experiences to that goal. In this second webinar, we discuss what a data strategy is and why you might need one. It's 30 minutes long including some excellent Q&A at the end. I hope to be launching a public Data Strategy course that builds on much of this content later this year. More details coming very soon. In the meantime, [...]

Webinar: Data is your GPS

By |2020-07-31T10:16:10+01:00July 31st, 2020|What I've done|

Nicola Askham and I recorded this pre-lockdown. We only finally found time to publish it now! It is the first of five webinars taking you from the Business Case for Data Governance, through the development and operationalisation of a data strategy, and finishing on how to make Data as an asset sustainable. Data as your GPS https://datapromedia.wistia.com/medias/6kt27nnc6p The next one 'How to create a pragmatic data strategy' will be a slightly different format, but hopefully just as informative. Due to be released end August 2020.

Watch: Data-Driven Decision Making for Unprecedented Times

By |2020-07-22T11:33:37+01:00July 22nd, 2020|What I've done|

This is the recording of the webinar and the lively Q&A hosted July 15,2020. Thanks to my friends at Waterstons for co-creating and delivering the content. They also did all the hosting, so all I did was virtually turn up and - initially - forget to unmute my Mic :) We've had great feedback from the attendees so I hope you enjoy our views on what's changed and how to take advantage of it.

Virtual Learnings

By |2020-07-17T12:10:03+01:00July 17th, 2020|What I've done|

There are many ways to develop a Data Strategy. I don't pretend to have 'the best way', but I do know - from long experience - what works and what doesn't. This was somewhat thrown into turmoil when COVID-19 enforced virtual working. Since then I'm close to completing my second virtual strategy delivery, and will soon be starting a third. I was asked by my latest client to summarise the differences/challenges/opportunities of creating Data Strategies through virtual delivery. I thought it would be useful to share what I feel are the key points.: Engagement: virtual breakouts, voting, time for discussions, etc. [...]

Data Governance is not Data Science

By |2020-05-19T11:05:23+01:00May 19th, 2020|What I've done|

Data Governance is not Data Science. Which is a shame because it is the latter that excites the senior leadership of most organisations I work with. This is understandable as these individuals are interested in high quality information which informs the decisions and actions they are making on a daily basis. Much of this information is purportedly an output of Data Science. What is less understandable is how the good management and governance of data is somehow divorced from the use of it. This is not a new problem; in the last ten years ‘Data Science’ could be replaced by ‘Analytics’, [...]

Working in the ‘New Normal’

By |2020-03-31T12:55:25+01:00March 31st, 2020|What I've done|

Testing out the whiteboard. Optional Labrador available for all remote workshops! Let’s start by saying there are far more important things going on in the world right now. We’re in uncharted territory with the concept of being on a ‘war footing’ not seeming too far-fetched. The efforts being made by our healthcare, retail, logistics and so many other sectors renders what we do significantly less important. Although how data is being used in this crisis is fascinating. We’ll be back to that in a later post. Our approach has been to control only what we can control and not [...]

How can I value my data asset?

By |2019-10-25T09:45:48+01:00October 25th, 2019|What I've done|

  What do we mean by value? Assets have value. So logically we should be able to agree the value of that asset. Respected metrics to do are understood for finance, people and buildings. These metrics provide some of the framework to manage assets both in terms of their cost to an organisation, and the way that value is demonstrated – be that quantitively and quantitatively. The data asset fails to ascribe to any of those criteria! There's no industry standard or accredited approaches to assessing that value, nor a universal benchmark to cost it. This does raise the question of [...]

Data Governance Business Case – what are the benefits?

By |2019-10-04T11:18:05+01:00October 4th, 2019|What I've done|

As my colleague, and fellow data professional Nicola Askham, wrote in her last blog. it can be a ‘real struggle to get your data governance initiative approved in the first place’. She sets out the reasons why, and recommendations on how to overcome them. In this post, I’m going to dive into the detail of how to frame the benefits and risks within that business case.  These have been developed over many years of creating signature ready business cases as part of a wider Data Governance initiative or programme. What are the benefit and risks that make the case? Every organisation [...]

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