Data Strategy - You are not alone!
Data Strategy is a team sport and sometimes you are not even the trainer.
I just read a post on LinkedIn about Data Strategy is all about change.1 In general this is often true. But sometimes the strategy process shows that you are not alone to decide about the change process. And this is not that you need others, you always will. It is sometimes that you find out, that things important to you are not in your responsibility, and you have to go rather into a coordinating or cooperation role to reach your goals.
How it started…
When I started working with a customer, I got the feeling that this initially as SAP Analytics introduced team will face many challenges if they really want to create and execute a data strategy. In an early stage we came to this picture showing or better checking how far they have ambitions to go in these directions. Every element was some steps away from what they did before.
How it is going…
When we ended the data strategy project, we finalized this picture as follows and clarified the possibilities and responsibility but also the borders of the now Data & Analytics Team. Data strategy can be an organizational change, effecting many areas, people, processes and so on. But some functions can not be changed or integrated and you have to collaborate or cooperate in some ways. For sure you can make a selective data strategy for the area of your current influence, but success will typically be limited.
Some insights I got on the way:
I see AI rising in different areas in companies. Sometimes a new unit is created e. g. as an independent Center of Excellence for AI (CoE)
Business IT teams like Finance often own some applications like Business Planning or Financial Consolidation
There are many reasons to raise a Public Cloud and if Data & Analytics wants to use it, they are possibly just a subtenant
Digital or Data Academies are often owned by HR departments
The need for Data Governance is often also seen in operational areas first
Data Security can be strongly covered by the CISO, data protection officer or similar departments
Conclusion
You don’t have to own all these topics, you can also work together in an active way, with others, as you will need them to reach the goals of the data strategy. You have to be ready to communicate and activate others. You have to sell your data strategy, show the added value and convince others that it makes sense to engage. This is typically why you need CxO sponsorship if things get complicated.
What departments of functions are the most important for your Data and AI strategy?
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/shagility_why-do-data-strategies-typically-end-up-in-activity-7275186863605198850-tQiW