Organizations across the world are looking to adopt a data-centric approach to drive their daily operations and boost their performance. It is necessary for them to build a strong data infrastructure which will lay the foundation for information management and other associated initiatives. Businesses started considering data as an asset after digitalization and technological advancements provided tools which could conduct the management tasks much quicker than human resources. However, simply creating a digital storage system and installing tools does not make an enterprise data-centric. A smart information handling program needs a suitable data governance strategy also. Following are some tips which touch on all these aspects. These suggestions will help commercial organizations create a robust data infrastructure and reap the benefits of efficient information management.
1.Choose And Source Correct Data
A key objective of adopting a data-centric approach is to analyze the information to get valuable insight into every aspect of running a business. This goal cannot be achieved if the data you choose is incorrect or flawed. Organizations must make sure that they are choosing correct elements. In today’s connected world, there is an overflow of information and it is easy for enterprises to choose an unsuitable set because of ignorance. Identify the best sources of information right at the beginning so that your systems can generate valuable output.
2. Outline Your Analytics Plan
As mentioned before, enterprises invest in information management to gain valuable insight into their functioning. Analytics is an integral part of the system which helps achieve this objective. It is essential that you clearly identify the business reason for which you need an analytics tool. This will help in understanding the technology, processes, and solutions will be required for the purpose. Recognize the long-term and the short-term goals that you want to achieve with analytics implementation. Consult with relevant stakeholders and then formulate the analytics plan for the enterprise. This should be a detailed document which maps the different phases along with a clear plan of action for each stage.
3. Order Your Projects Based On Their Priority
The entire initiative will be a collection of multiple small projects being conducted in various sections of an enterprise. It is necessary to order the projects according to their priority. This will have a positive impact on the success rate of the different programs. It will also bring into focus the strategic goals that you are looking to achieve first. The management and operational teams will also be clear about what should be done first. You can begin by aligning your data activities with the business goals. Get the stakeholders on board to identify the KPIs required for monitoring the progress of the program. Then determine the ordering of the projects according to their value for the organization.
4. Look To Create A Flexible Data Model
Your data model is the house where the information assets will reside. In order to create a strong data infrastructure, you must look to build a flexible model. This will help you in finalizing the definition of all elements and how they must be used. It also gives an indication of the kind of input that the evaluation of the items will generate. A data warehousing system will be helpful in giving easy access to all authorized users. This will reduce the time needed for analyses and increase the enterprise’s confidence in the assets.
5. Choose A Suitable Storage Environment For Your Organization
Most organizations these days are choosing cloud-based systems to support their information management initiative. Enterprises do not need to invest in building an in-house infrastructure and they also save resources which would have been spent in maintaining it. A cloud-based environment is also easy to scale. However, this does not mean that you must blindly choose the same approach for your organization. Assess your own unique requirements to understand which kind of storage will be ideal for your situation.
6. Map The Lineage Of Your Data Assets
If you want to keep your infrastructure sound and productive, you must have a clear view of all your assets during every phase of their lifecycle. You must map out the lineage of all the information elements residing in your digital ecosystem. This is a tedious and time-consuming job but it needs to be done diligently otherwise you may have to make serious modifications later. Create an ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) document which is a visual representation of the data flow and lineage.
7. Create A Data Governance Plan To Monitor The Initiative
A data governance strategy is required to keep a close watch on the information management program. It will be helpful in spotting and resolving issues quickly to maintain data quality. This, in turn, will ensure that the analytics and other tools provide accurate insights. However, governance is usually least of the priorities of an enterprise implementing an information management scheme. You must explain the benefits of governance to the executive leadership as their support is crucial for the success of the plan. Then you must implement the scheme across the entire organization.
8. Evaluate The Performance Of The System At Regular Intervals
It is essential to assess the performance of the system regularly so that it remains in an optimized state. Check how much time is being taken in generating reports and how often does the data need to be refreshed. Identify all the factors that are impacting performance and then make the necessary modifications in the system.
Conclusion
Creating a strong data management services infrastructure requires a well-defined and planned approach. Enterprises need to accurately assess the gap between their present condition and the desired ideal state to understand how they must fill the gap.
