March 2024 (Part 3)

March 2024 (Part 3)

Transition from IT-Driven Reporting to a Self-Service Model

Transitioning from IT-Driven Reporting to a Self-Service Model: Making Change and Empowering the Business

The evolution from traditional IT-driven reporting to a self-service model represents a significant shift in how organizations access and utilize data. Empowering the business with self-service capabilities allows for faster insights, increased agility, and reduced dependency on IT teams. Let's explore the key considerations and best practices for managing the transition from IT-delivered reporting to a self-service model.

Understanding the Transition:

1. Assess Current Capabilities and Needs:

Before embarking on the transition journey, assess the organization's current reporting capabilities and the specific needs of business users. Identify pain points, challenges, and areas where self-service can bring the most significant value. Understanding the current landscape provides a foundation for designing a tailored self-service solution.

2. Establish Clear Objectives:

Clearly define the objectives and goals of transitioning to a self-service model. Whether it's reducing time-to-insight, improving data accessibility, or fostering a culture of data-driven decision-making, establishing clear objectives helps guide the transition process and ensures alignment with broader organizational goals.

Making the Transition:

3. Provide Comprehensive Training and Support:

Recognize that transitioning to a self-service model involves a learning curve for business users. Offer comprehensive training programs to familiarize them with the self-service tools and empower them to create their reports. Establish ongoing support channels to address queries, troubleshoot issues, and facilitate a smooth transition.

4. Collaborate Between IT and Business:

Foster collaboration between IT and business teams throughout the transition. IT professionals can provide expertise in data governance, security, and infrastructure, ensuring that self-service capabilities align with organizational standards. A collaborative approach encourages knowledge sharing and enhances the success of the self-service model.

5. Implement Robust Data Governance:

Strengthen data governance practices to maintain data accuracy, security, and compliance. Define clear roles, responsibilities, and processes for managing data within the self-service environment. Robust data governance ensures that business users have access to reliable, trustworthy data while mitigating the risks associated with data misuse.

Providing More Capabilities to the Business:

6. Scale Infrastructure Appropriately:

As self-service capabilities expand, ensure that the underlying infrastructure scales accordingly. Consider cloud-based solutions for scalability and flexibility, allowing the organization to adapt to changing data volumes and user demands without compromising performance.

7. Promote Data Literacy:

Promote data literacy initiatives to enhance the ability of business users to interpret and derive insights from data. Offer educational resources, workshops, and documentation to improve data literacy across the organization. A well-informed user base is better equipped to leverage self-service capabilities effectively.

8. Iterate Based on User Feedback:

Encourage user feedback and iterate on self-service capabilities based on user experiences. Regularly gather insights from business users to identify areas for improvement, feature enhancements, or additional functionalities that can enhance the overall user experience and address evolving business needs.

9. Ensure Data Security and Compliance:

As self-service capabilities expand, prioritize data security and compliance. Implement role-based access controls, encryption, and auditing mechanisms to safeguard sensitive information. Regularly assess and update security measures to align with industry standards and regulatory requirements.

10. Monitor and Optimize Performance:

Establish a robust system for continuous monitoring of self-service capabilities. Regularly assess system performance, user interactions, and data processing efficiency. Use monitoring insights to proactively optimize performance, identifying and resolving any issues that may impact the user experience. This iterative approach ensures that the self-service model remains responsive, reliable, and aligned with evolving business requirements.

Transitioning from IT-driven reporting to a self-service model requires careful planning, collaboration, and ongoing optimization. By understanding the current state, setting clear objectives, providing comprehensive training, fostering collaboration, and implementing robust data governance, organizations can successfully navigate this transition. Additionally, as capabilities expand, scaling infrastructure appropriately, promoting data literacy, iterating based on user feedback, ensuring data security and compliance, and monitoring and optimizing performance contribute to the continued success of the self-service model. In embracing these considerations and best practices, organizations can empower the business with greater autonomy in accessing and utilizing data, fostering a culture of data-driven innovation and decision-making.


Catch Up on This Week's Articles

𝐍𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐄𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐓𝐨𝐩 5 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐀𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐑𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐞
𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐬: 𝐀𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐱 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐈
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐭𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬

Colorado Technology Sales Professionals March Meetup

Thank you to the Colorado Technology Sales Professionals meetup for hosting me as their featured speaker last Monday night at WeWork in downtown Denver. It was a great setting for me to return to public speaking after a 7 year hiatus!

Thank you to Bob McNeil and Jason August for all their work in the CTSP group and Whitney Webermeier for hosting us at WeWork.

Learn more about the Colorado Technology Sales Professionals: https://lnkd.in/gdmDg_5P

Check out their next meetup here: https://lnkd.in/gi3cZzTA

Contact Whitney to host your next event: whitney.webermeier@wework.com


March WiD Denver/Houston

In honor of Women's Month, the Denver and Houston Women In Data™️ chapters are hosting an exciting virtual panel event on data engineering from the female perspective!

Join us as we delve into career trajectories, challenges, and triumphs. Featuring three diverse speakers, including:

📊 Kanmani Thomas Xavier, a seasoned Senior Data Engineer with a Master's in Data Science and Data Engineering,

📊 Laura Lundell, whose inspiring journey from elementary school teaching to data analytics and engineering sheds light on diverse pathways into the field, and

📊 Cher Fox (The Datanista), CDMP, a trailblazer with over 35 years of experience in data and founder of her own consulting company.

Our engaging discussion will explore the intricacies of getting started in data engineering, navigating the industry as a female, overcoming barriers, and fostering diversity and inclusion.

RSVP➡HERE.

Hope to see you there! ✨

💻 Interested in joining WiD and gaining access to all the awesome resources and community groups to help you succeed?

Learn more and join➡HERE.

Thank you to Amanda Long , Silvia Onofrei, PhD , Jennifer DeBell , Emily Bocim and Ashlee Dutton !


DAMA RMC Q2 In Person/Virtual Event

🥳Join DAMA Rocky Mountain Chapter for our Q2 2024 event, Data Quality Management Best Practices. We are excited to welcome Cher Fox (The Datanista), CDMP, of Fox Consulting, as a featured speaker.🎤

𝐀𝐛𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭

Data Quality Management Best Practices examines the key practices for effective data quality management, & will provide a practical roadmap to enhance data quality practices. I analyze the strategic definition of data quality standards, emphasizing various principles. The importance of proactive data profiling, coupled with regular assessments, is highlighted for identifying & addressing anomalies. The session reinforces the significance of a robust data governance framework, automated validation processes, & metadata management to ensure contextual insights.

Continuous monitoring, supported by alert systems, is discussed for tracking data quality metrics in real-time. Cultivating a data quality culture through user training & awareness is suggested as a vital component. The presentation also explores the utilization of data quality metrics & key performance indicators to benchmark & assess effectiveness. The commitment to continuous improvement concludes the discussion, emphasizing the importance of regularly reviewing & adapting practices to evolving business needs.

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧: Friday, April 26th from 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm

𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Thrive Workplace

𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬: 9200 E Mineral Ave, Centennial, CO 80112

Price: Log-in to receive membership pricing!

Professional Members: Always Complimentary & Free!

Guest Members: First In-Person event $0, In-Person $20, Virtual $10

Non-members: In-Person $25, Virtual $15

Event details 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄.

Registration 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄.


Strategic Partners

Cyber Qubits

Visit Cyber Qubits to learn more about their Cybersecurity certifications, education, and corporate training!

McIntosh Consulting

Visit McIntosh Consulting to learn more about people-focused process improvement.


Learn more by visiting my website: Fox Consulting

Follow me on X/Twitter: The Datanista

Follow me on Bluesky: The Datanista

Which of these articles resonates with you most?

Let's continue the conversation in the comments.💡

#data #dataengineering #womenindata #paneldiscussion #damarmc #damarockymountainchapter #dataquality #bestpractices #diversityinclusion #datagovernance #datasecurity #dataliteracy #thedatanista #dataanalytics #businessintelligence #datastrategy #datainitiatives #datawarehouse #datamanagement #testautomation



Richard Cole, CDMP

Data Architect at British Business Bank | Certified Data Management Professional (DAMA CDMP Associate) | Passionate about Solving Data Challenges & Stakeholder Engagement

9mo

Fantastic insight about self service analytics! This comprehensive breakdown not only illuminates the critical path from IT-driven to self-service models but also emphasises the importance of strategic planning and collaboration across departments. Particularly, the emphasis on data governance and promoting data literacy underscores the nuanced approach needed to empower users while maintaining data integrity and security.

Erika Lenz

My mission is to help you thrive in a constantly moving world.

9mo

I appreciate the compare/contrast between Alteryx and PowerBI. Alteryx has evolved since I worked there! Thanks for the update, Cher Fox (The Datanista), CDMP

Joris van Huët

Senior performance marketeer (T-shaped Paid Social), that got tired of fixing attribution problems manually - so he initiated an AI solution.

9mo

Each article offers unique insights. I'm curious, which one sparked your interest the most, and why?

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