by Angela Guess
Mark Samuels recently wrote in ZDnet, “Big data is big business: analyst Gartner says the amount of chief data officers (CDOs) being appointed by major organisations rose from 400 in 2014 to 1,000 in 2015. The analyst predicts 90 per cent of large companies will have a CDO by 2019. Such CDOs can help firms to focus on the value of analytical information. But all organisations — with or without the appointment of a CDO — must find ways to demonstrate the value of big data, and that job often falls to the CIO. So when it comes to setting a big data strategy, what is the role of the CIO and how can he or she help the rest of the organisation to make the most of their information? ZDNet speaks to the experts and discovers best practice advice.”
Samuels goes on, “(1) Get access to the right kind of talent. The first thing to recognise, says Camden Council interim CIO Omid Shiraji, is that the demand for information management is only going in one direction: up. One coping strategy is to draw on external talent. ‘As a CIO, you’ll never know everything about data,’ he says. ‘But you’ll have to make sure you surround yourself with people who do. CIOs will need to recognise the talent, to relate those skills to the broader organisation and to create an environment to allow smart people to be successful’.”
He continues, “(2) Prove the value of big data to the business. A great data strategy, therefore, is crucial. Firms need to think very carefully about how they integrate data sources and how they make sense of the relationships that emerge through analysis. IT leaders will play a crucial role, as the CIO’s experience in leading big business intelligence projects means he or she is often rightly viewed as the technology expert within the business. CIOs must rise to the challenge and work with their line-of-business peers to create valuable insights in key areas, such as experience and performance. First Utility CIO Bill Wilkins is one IT leader who has worked with his peers to use analytics to help the organisation transform.”
Photo credit: Flickr/ dani0010