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brenda michelson's technology advisory practice

Get data responsibility out of IT? Bad idea.

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Recently, I dusted off my soapbox to respond to Thomas C. Redman’s post  Get Responsibility for Data Out of IT:

“As companies devote increasing time and energy in gathering massive quantities of data, many neglect a critical first step: Get most responsibility for data out of the IT Department.”

…”Since this step flies in the face of most current practice and may seem counterintuitive, I want to explain carefully. First, it seems obvious enough that one ought to put management of data (or anything else for that matter) as close to the action as possible.”

…”In a somewhat different vein, management responsibility should lie with the parties that have the most to gain or lose. Business departments gain mightily when they create new value from data. In contrast, IT reaps little reward when data is used to improve a product, service, or decision.“

I disagree with Redman on two points. Read about them at HPIO: Getting data responsibility out of IT is dangerous – Input Output.

Management, change and big data — active information

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In my most recent active information post, I highlight management implications of effective big data usage, as articulated in HBR article by McAfee and Brynjolfsson.

An excerpt:

As investment in data analysis small, big, fast is worthless without a willingness to act, Im choosing to highlight McAfee and Brynjolfsson’s submission on Big Data: The Management Revolution.

After setting a context on Big Data volume, velocity, variety and showcasing tangible business results of Big Data PASSURs RightETA and Sears Holdings, McAfee and Brynjolfsson get to the heart of the matter:

“The technical challenges of using big data are very real. But the managerial challenges are even greater—starting with the role of the senior executive team.”

“One of the most critical aspects of big data is its impact on how decisions are made and who gets to make them.”

read the full post: Management in the Big Data era: Rethink or be Repl… – Input Output.

Weekend warriors rejoice: sensors to improve your game

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Yes, it’d be fair to say I have vacation on the brain. This week’s active info post:

“Over the years, I’ve highlighted many interesting, and even oddball, usages of sensor technology, from cow containment to mollusc-based oil spill detection. As my writing is directed at a business audience, I tend to highlight the commercial nodes on the ever-expanding internet of things.

Not today though. It is summer, after all. And like most, summer brings out my weekend sports warrior. Thing is, I’m not that talented. My golf outings would be better described as a watersport. My high school tennis prowess is long gone. And I have no foot-eye coordination.

But, there is hope for me…”

read: Weekend sports warriors: Improve your game, via se… – Input Output.

Data analysis issue, or data collection issue?

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The research explored in my latest active information post caught the attention of my inner retailer, figuring out why customers do the things they do:

“…Sifting, cleansing and connecting disparate pieces of data to unearth a clue or two to customer behavior. Think click-stream analysis. And in the case of multichannel businesses, follow-on activities to correlate in-store visits, customer service calls and such.

That’s a significant amount of up-front time and effort. Compounding the issue, the shortage of data explorers is well documented. No wonder organizations are focusing on data collection and procrastinating on data discovery.

But perhaps, the big problem of big data isnt one of analyzing the data stockpiles. Rather, the problem is in our data collection techniques and scoping…”

Read the post: Customer behavior data: better collection, better … – Input Output.

Brenda M. Michelson

Brenda Michelson

Technology Architect.

Trusted Advisor.

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