Thought leadership in data analytics
Jinfo Blog

By Robin Neidorf

Abstract

Find out why we invited Marc Vollenweider of Evalueserve ‏to be honorary producer on our Research Focus, "Stake your claim in the success of data analytics"

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What constitutes "thought leadership"? I know that I'm looking for people who:

• Challenge my assumptions about what problem I'm really trying to solve

• Take a broad view of the industry, pulling examples from fields that may look at first to be unrelated

• Look beyond their own experience - and capabilities - to consider what will be truly transformational

• Are eager to engage with others and have their own assumptions challenged.

Against these standards, much of what passes for "thought leadership" can turn into self-promotion. I value the perspectives and opinions of consultants and business professionals with years of experience to draw on, but rarely do their articles, presentations or books rise to the level of thought leadership.

Marc Vollenweider, co-founder of Evalueserve, is the real deal. My interview with Marc takes on the topic of data analytics, and the fundamental gaps in organisations, processes, skills and resources that result in projects falling short of potential.

Why thought leadership? Marc steps back from the undeniable excitement around the power of new technologies to run complex modelling, combine disparate datasets and extract meaning to challenge the basic assumptions about what we really need to do:

It's not about mastering the technology; it's about defining the use-case.

Jinfo's Research Focus, "Stake your claim in the success of data analytics", explores this kind of re-definition of the problem from a number of different angles. The role for information teams might be to expand their skills in the direction of data science; just as logically, their role might be to focus on taxonomies, use-case management and data governance that create long-term strategy and success. 

Because of Marc's influence on Jinfo's research, we have named him an honorary producer for this Research Focus. As a result, we've been able to partner with Evalueserve to bring you the following:

• Q&A with Marc Vollenweider

• Complimentary copies of Marc's book, "Mind+Machine", provided to selected Jinfo customers (learn more about the book here)

• Jinfo Webinar, "Mapping the full use-case to create success with analytics", featuring Marc as our speaker

• Jinfo Community session, "Designing, managing and improving analytics use-cases", based on the practical concepts of Mind+Machine.

I hope you'll find the ideas and principles of Evalueserve and of Marc Vollenweider as provocative and inspiring as I have - and that you carve out some time to dig into all the research, articles and reviews we produced in this Research Focus. Request the Insights and Actions report to get up to speed quickly.

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