Hub & Spoken.

What's in this podcast?

In this episode, Jason talks to Ricardo Santos, Senior Solution and Strategy Lead at Cynozure. They discuss how to best select the technology to carry out a full scale data strategy, choose the right people to implement, and take a look at past examples of data modelling – and the role they still play in today’s data landscape.

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For more on data, take a look at the webinars and events that we have lined up for you.

One Big Message

In today’s data landscape, there are so many different data technology solutions which can make it extremely hard to find the right one for your business. If you become overwhelmed, start with a small and scalable solution that can grow with the needs of your business.

[00:40] Ricardo’s experience in data and his role at Cynosure

[03:50] How the data landscape has changed over the span of Ricardo’s career

[07:40] Looking at changes in data technology over the past decade

[13:00] How to choose the right data technology for your business

[19:00] The role your team’s skills play in planning data technologies for your business, and deciding when it’s necessary to upskill

[21:00] Choosing whether to start small and scale, or forward plan and implement as much as possible

[24:40] Data roles and capabilities you need to implement a data strategy in your business

[27:20] Looking at past data models and seeing if they still hold up today

Legacy modelling matters

Legacy data modelling is an essential process for ensuring that company data is structured in a way that allows for efficient retrieval and analysis. By creating a well-defined data model, you can make sure that your data is easy to use now and into the future. When creating legacy models, the principles introduced by data pioneers such as Ralph Kimball still hold true today. The only thing that has changed in the past decade are the choices available to implement your data strategy with.

Choosing from all the available tech options

Thanks to cloud technology, new solutions and architecture keep coming out with various possibilities catering for different niches. When it comes to big data technology, this problem is only compounded by the vast number of choices available. It can be difficult to decide which option is the best for your organisation. If you are in doubt, look at the skills sets of your data team to see which platforms they are most comfortable working with and consult with data experts if you need further help.

Find common denominators when creating data architecture

In today’s business world, if you’re not using technology to your advantage, you’re at a disadvantage. And that’s especially true when it comes to data. Whether it’s big data or small data, businesses need to figure out how to use data technology to stay competitive. Not all data technology is the same – there are many different solutions available for different niches. The simplest way to start is to start small, but start creating the groundwork for the data architecture you may need in the future.

Key hires when planning and implementing data solutions

When you have a data plan and implement a big data strategy into your business, there are a number of key people required that will help to implement your data strategy as smoothly as possible. These include:

• Business or data analyst to help map out the business needs
• Solution architect to map out what the infrastructure will look like
• Data modelling experts who may also be data engineers
• Data engineers to build the backend of data management
• UI or Analytics developers to set up dashboards and reporting
• Data scientists to deliver advanced analytics

Because your data needs will evolve with your business, training and upskilling has to be available to your staff so they can best utilise the data software used in the business. Platforms such as Azure and Oracle are regularly updated to keep pace with best industry practises and security standards; so your business needs to be prepared to keep up with changing developments and updates.

To summarise

In today’s data landscape, data teams are almost spoiled for choice. Advances in technology have allowed companies to create a number of data infrastructure solutions, with some catering for very niche markets. If you’re struggling to come up with a data plan and solution for your business, reach out to other data experts who are aware of all the solutions possible.

Episodes with the Cynozure Crew

The Importance of Data Management with Jennifer Agnes, Managing Director of the Cynozure Group in the US

Drive value with good product management with Tim Connold, Head of Consulting at Cynozure