You Better Have this Geek on Your Team
One of the biggest mistakes made in the early days of Big Data was the assumption that someone only tangentially familiar with data science could just “slide over” and “handle it.” Many companies crashed before they ever got their Big Data programs off the runway because they assumed this new field was like any other aspect of business. Cross train and get it done!
Except, data science doesn’t really work that way. It’s a specialty, not some blended or vague discipline. Because of this, many companies had to learn the hard way to bring a legitimate data team together – or hire one – if they wanted to take advantage of the benefits locked inside those massive data sets. But you don’t have to suffer the same fate as those assumptive data pioneers.
Even better, you can know exactly what you need for your company to embrace the Big Data revolution. You need a team that is entirely data-driven and also operationally aware. One or the other is okay – in the same way cold french fries are still french fries. But for your marketing and data operations to be hot, fresh and delicious, you need a team that understands the inexorable intersect between data and customer interaction in the digital-mobile age.
Data is no longer collected, housed and mined, then collected, housed and mined again. In today’s environment, data is collected, housed and mined all at once. The goal is real-time results and instant applications – data creating a specific customer experience. To accomplish that miracle, you need a data team that not only understands the science of data but also understands the science of people. What data matters, why it’s important and how it can be woven together to deepen and lengthen customer interaction.
This data is not for forecasting, planning, and goal-setting. This is data down in the trenches. Data being used to drive and direct customers, to influence buying decisions based on information the customer gave you before they even realized they wanted what they were about to buy. That’s the endless loop, the constant ebb, and flow. It’s data, delivering a relationship. Your team needs someone who understands how to make that happen.
Jonah Engler is a finance expert from NYC who loves keeping up with the latest technology trends.