“Building a successful information platform requires a commitment to people at every step,” says Intel’s Ajay Chandramouly. “It sounds simple, but companies can get consumed trying to tackle big data without the proper teams in place to do so, or a true understanding of the problems people are trying to solve.”
From experience guiding Intel’s IT projects, Chandramouly recommends five best practices to building an information platform rooted in people.
1. Ensure IT and line-of-business managers are in sync
The most valuable information platforms stem back to a yin and yang between IT and line-of-business teams. Breaking down siloes is fundamental to understanding business challenges and putting the right plan in place to tackle them.
2. Build the best team to connect the data dots
Invest in building team before technology. Connecting data to benefit the entire company and specific lines of business requires a commitment to developing current IT talent and recruiting data scientists.
3. Start small and adapt
Pulling big data into an information platform can be trial and error, so start with a beta project, learn and build. The team needs to be as flexible as the technology.
4. Put predictive to work
As data sources continue to grow, predictive analytics becomes more critical. Emphasize resources for data scientists who can build predictive algorithms that breakdown business challenges.
5. Deploy self-service analytics
To make better decisions, people need simple ways to access, understand and visualize data. Tangible results require a balance of intuitive analytics with big data solutions.
