Eckerson Group Audio Blogs

COVID, inflation, broken supply chains, and not-so-distant war make this a turbulent time for the modern consumer. During times like these, families tend to their nests, which leads to lots of home-improvement projects…which means lots of painting.

Today we explore the case study of a Fortune 500 producer of the paints and stains that coat many households, consumer products, and even mechanical vehicles. While business expands, this company needs to carefully align the records that track hundreds of suppliers, thousands of storefronts, and millions of customers.

Business expansion and complex supply chains make it particularly important—and challenging—for enterprises such as this paint producer, which we’ll call Bright Colors, to accurately describe the entities that make up their business. They need to be governed, validated data to describe entities such as their products, locations, and customers. Master data management, also known as MDM, streamlines operations and assists data governance by reconciling disparate data records into golden records and ideally a single source of truth.

We’re excited to share our conversation with an industry expert that helps Bright Colors and other Fortune 2000 enterprises navigate turbulent times with effective strategies for MDM and data governance.

Dave Wilkinson is chief technology officer with D3Clarity, a global strategy and implementation services firm that seeks to ensure digital certainty, security, and trust. D3Clarity is a partner of Semarchy, whose Intelligent Data Hub software helps enterprises govern and manage master data, reference data, data quality, enrichment, and workflows. Semarchy sponsored this podcast.

Dave Wilkinson: Enterprise Data Governance and MDM Case Study

We in the West have watched Russia's invasion of Ukraine with disbelief and horror. How could this happen to a European country in the 21st century? Is there any justifiable rationale for the wanton destruction of people and property there? As we ponder these questions, our data colleagues in Ukraine have experienced the war firsthand. 

To help us get a handle on Ukraine's role in the data economy and how teams based there are coping with Russia's military onslaught, Wayne interviews two software executives today who share how the war has affected their companies and how they are adapting to the evolving situation. 

Dragos Georgescu is vice president and chief technology officer of DataClarity, an innovative data analytics vendor with a development shop in Lviv, Ukraine. 

Bogdan Steblyanko is CEO of CHI Software, a  software development company based in Ukraine with more than 500 employees spread across four development centers, including hard-hit Kharkiv in the east, which is the company's headquarters.

The Impact of the War in Ukraine on Data Teams

Every organization that manufactures data for decision making is rethinking its data architecture. Compared to five years ago, there is a treasure trove of new technologies and techniques that promise to transform the way organizations compete and serve customers. This audio blog summarizes the major characteristics of a modern data architecture and serves a high-level guide for organizations that are in the midst of developing a new data strategy for the modern age.

Originally published at https://www.eckerson.com/articles/ten-characteristics-of-a-modern-data-architecture

Ten Characteristics Of A Modern Data Architecture by Wayne Eckerson - Audio Blog

Data engineering is one of the hottest and most difficult jobs to fill in the field of analytics. Breadth and depth of required skills limits the number of people qualified to work as data engineers. If you’re seeking to hire data engineers, consider the 24 skill areas identified here as guidance to shape job descriptions and to screen candidates. If you’re seeking to become a data engineer, take the skills assessment to highlight your strengths and identify your gaps.

Originally published at https://www.eckerson.com/articles/data-engineering-coming-of-age

Data Engineering Coming of Age by Dave Wells - Audio Blog

To survive and thrive in today’s information economy, organizations need to establish a compelling data strategy that advances the company’s key objectives and goals. This is not a job for the chief information officer or even chief data officer; it’s a task that the CEO must own and champion and assemble his best and brightest to execute. This audio blog examines the ten step methodology that Eckerson Group uses to help organizations create a data strategy.

Originally published at https://www.eckerson.com/articles/how-to-create-a-data-strategy-part-1-overview

Ten Steps To Create A Data Strategy by Wayne Eckerson - Audio Blog

Ethics is challenging because right and good are not always clear. More data, more kinds of data, and advanced analysis of data often conflict with concerns of data privacy, security, anonymity, and ownership. Resolving these conflicts requires acknowledgment, discussion, and the hard work of defining ethics-based policies and creating a culture of ethical conduct.

Originally published at https://www.eckerson.com/articles/data-ethics-the-new-data-governance-challenge

Data Ethics - The New Data Governance Challenge by Dave Wells - Audio Blog

With today’s unprecedented velocity of change in data and technologies, the single version of the truth (SVOT) is sometimes looked upon as a nice to have. But SVOT is not optional. Despite the difficulties in constructing a single version of the truth, it is now needed more than ever to keep CEOs happy and to stay compliant with new regulations like the GDPR.

Originally published at https://www.eckerson.com/articles/single-version-of-the-truth-not-optional

Single Version of the Truth - Not Optional by Stephen J. Smith - Audio Blog

Data analysts who sit in each business function (i.e., sales, marketing, finance) are critical to the success of a self-service analytics strategy. The problem is that most data analysts don’t receive the training and support they need to be proficient with self-service data and analytics tools. The easiest way to improve the skills and satisfaction of most data analysts is simple: bring them together into a power user network.

Originally published at https://www.eckerson.com/articles/power-user-networks-the-key-to-self-service-analytics

Power User Networks - The Key to Self Service Analytics by Wayne Eckerson - Audio Blog

This EG blog is about data modernization steps and guiding principles that can help maintain balance within schools, stores, and other face to face businesses affected by COVID-19. 

Originally published at: https://www.eckerson.com/articles/covid-19-and-higher-education-a-case-study-in-data-modernization

COVID-19 and Higher Education: A Case Study in Data Modernization - Audio Blog

This blog is about the challenge of data sprawl and how the combination of AI-based entity matching, schema matching, and enhanced knowledge graphing is moving us ever closer to the vision of self-driving data.

Originally published at: https://www.eckerson.com/articles/using-data-knowledge-to-conquer-data-sprawl

Using Data Knowledge to Conquer Data Sprawl - Audio Blog

This blog is about Graphics Processing Units (GPU) and how much of the focus and industry growth in the use of GPUs has come from their suitability for machine learning, especially neural networks, more commonly known as deep learning. 

Originally published at: https://www.eckerson.com/articles/gpu-databases-getting-more-value-from-your-machine-learning-infrastructure

GPU Databases: Getting more Value from your Machine Learning Infrastructure - Audio Blog

This blog is about Continuous Intelligence (CI) and how it integrates historical and real-time analytics to operate, monitor and tune systems of all types. Our next blogs will explore architectural approaches to CI, and how to navigate the trade offs it introduces to your organization.

Originally published at: https://www.eckerson.com/articles/continuous-intelligence-the-nexus-of-data-integration-analytics-and-operations

Continuous Intelligence: the Nexus of Data Integration, Analytics and Operations - Audio Blog

This blog compares Predictive vs Prognostic analytics and gives a quick view into systems dynamics and causal modeling. If it sparks your interest, watch for an upcoming series of articles connecting the practices of systems thinking, causal analysis, and analytics.

Originally published at: https://www.eckerson.com/articles/looking-at-the-future-through-analytics-predictive-vs-prognostic

Looking at the Future through Analytics: Predictive vs. Prognostic - Audio Blog

Listen to data and analytics leaders share the secrets of their success. Wayne Eckerson, long-time global thought leader interviews guests who run data and analytics programs at Fortune 2000 organizations around the world. Tune in to stay abreast of the latest technologies, techniques, and trends in our fast-paced industry.

Power User Networks - The Key to Self Service Analytics by Wayne Eckerson - Audio Blog

Secrets of Data & Analytics Leaders

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