First things first, let us consider the following three cases:
• X is the Marketing Manager of a company. He wants to use his company’s data to identify what is working and what is not. He wants the company to be data-driven. He hires a bunch of analysts and buys the latest tools in the market. After some months, he feels even after hiring bright data professionals and giving them the latest tools, the results are not as expected or the results are delayed. What could be the cause?
• Y has four years of experience as an analyst. Y has had fellow analysts, seniors, managers in his team to guide and support him during his tenure. Y then moves to another company where he is the first data hire. Y is told that he would be guided initially until he picks up and later would have to build a data team from scratch. Y is confident about doing tasks that are given to him but he is unsure if he can build a data team on his own. Would he make the correct decisions? What if decisions do not work out as expected?
• Z is the Chief Data Officer of his company which he calls data-driven. The data team uses data for their analyses, another team says they don’t think data could help them do their jobs better, and a third team says they use data but upon probing during a presentation, the team has no data to back their claims. Is Z’s company really data-driven? If not, what can Z do to build the data culture in his organization?
Data Culture by Dr. Shorful Islam provides solutions for the questions mentioned above and more. Overall, the book serves as an excellent guide and a detailed roadmap to those who need to build a culture of data with step-by-step guidance on what is to be done and how.
What is data culture? Why is it necessary to establish a good data culture within an organization? How and where do you start towards building the data culture in your organization? What would be the first step? Dr. Shorful describes all of this in his book and gives plenty of examples from his vast experience to demonstrate what works and what does not.
In Dr. Shorful’s own words, “A company should integrate data into all aspects of the business”. All their conclusions or findings need to be evidence-based. Usage of data should not be limited to a few functions or teams in a company. In other words, how the company uses their data should define ‘who they are’ and not ‘what they are’.
Every organization generates data. In order to manage that data and derive useful conclusions out of it, the organization needs to take necessary steps and use resources effectively. This book is an informative and interesting read for any organization that wants to understand how to see their data.
You can purchase Data Culture by Dr. Shorful Islam on Amazon or through Kogan Page
Mallika Komarapuram Sreedhar
I previously worked as a Quality Assurance Analyst for four years before taking a career break. Currently, I am preparing to transition into data analytics and working on building a portfolio.
In my free time, I enjoy writing articles, poems and engaging in art and craft. I have participated in two 10K races and volunteered for both the Marine Corps and George Washington Birthday marathons, reflecting my passion for fitness.
