Paul Jones: Data, Strategy, Innovation

This is the eighth part of the chapter titled “The Data Architecture Construction Project”, from the book “ The Data Garden And Other Data Allegories ”. ______________________________ Concerned Contractors The next set of people to speak turn out to be a group of external contractors, who are there to represent a number of other external architecture and building companies. They work for private investors but are keen to ensure they have good working relationships with your government-backed team. It turns out that they have some concerns of their own too, which they’re all too happy to share with you.  The contractors aren’t shy about their motives. They make it very clear that in most cases, they’ll do whatever they’re told, as long as they’re paid enough. However, they struggle when they’re asked to do something they don’t agree with, because they’re all experienced professionals and have standards of their own. They don’t want to put their name to something that’s sub-par and t...

This is the seventh part of the chapter titled “The Data Architecture Construction Project”, from the book “ The Data Garden And Other Data Allegories ”. ______________________________ The Executors The next person to step forward is sharply dressed, and as she starts to talk, her calm, commanding tone is precise and crisp. Her eyes are intense and focused. The description of her team’s purpose, its achievements and plans are structured, logical and well-rehearsed. This is the Programme Delivery team. Their job is to “get stuff done”. They don’t have any preference of technologies or tools, they just need to know what needs to be done, by when, and with what resources, and they’ll make sure it happens. Their team is very new and consists of expert delivery managers, brought in from other towns and cities. It was set up following the various overdue and unsuccessful projects that the incumbent teams had failed to get over the line. The team leader is almost jarringly direct and doesn’t ...

This is the sixth part of the chapter titled “The Data Architecture Construction Project”, from the book “ The Data Garden And Other Data Allegories ”. ______________________________ Technology Snobs The next representative to speak clears his throat before he starts. He’s not joined by anyone else from his team and commences by announcing with a distinct air of pride that he leads the Infrastructure Maintenance team. His team is responsible for the upkeep of critical infrastructure and they directly protect the safety of everyone travelling and using the facilities across Data Insight Town. It turns out that the Infrastructure Maintenance team employs over two thousand infrastructure engineers, including a few of the only people that still understand some of the old materials and technologies that have been used to build the town. Initially you’re impressed. This team seems to be everything the Strategic Architecture team isn’t: it’s practical, delivery-focused and has a very strong s...

This is the fifth part of the chapter titled “The Data Architecture Construction Project”, from the book “ The Data Garden And Other Data Allegories ”. ______________________________ “What a team!” Or should that be… “What team?” A meeting’s been organised with the leaders of each of your teams. Helpfully, representatives from some of the other architecture firms and building companies have also agreed to join. As you walk into the meeting room, you can feel the tension amongst the people gathered there. You smile broadly and say hello, walking in with as much confidence as you can muster to take a seat at the top of the long table that fills most of the room. The windows are open, but there’s no breeze and the room’s hot and stuffy. All of the seats are occupied, people crammed into the narrow gaps between the table and the walls, and there are a few people stood up at the back of the room. You can see one person leaning on the limp remains of a broken fan, wafting himself with a note...

This is the fourth part of the chapter titled “The Data Architecture Construction Project”, from the book “ The Data Garden And Other Data Allegories ”. ______________________________ Don’t worry about the data losses What happens next is the most shocking and scary thing you’ve ever seen. There is a sudden, loud crashing noise above you. When you look up, you find yourself frozen to the spot, as a data car tumbles from the highway and plummets down a hole only three feet from where you’re standing. You feel the rush of air caused by the data car plunging past you, and watch in horror as the data person inside screams in terror before disappearing into oblivion. You’re gasping for breath as you look at the Head Builder and are stunned to see him gazing at you quizzically. He looks totally nonplussed by what he’s just seen. “What,” you wheeze, “just happened?!” “Oh that? That’s nothing. I mean, it’s normal. I mean, it’s pretty rare, in the grander scheme of things. Considering how many ...

This is the third part of the chapter titled “The Data Architecture Construction Project”, from the book “ The Data Garden And Other Data Allegories ”. ______________________________ The sticky-plaster data bridge As you draw closer to the structure, you can see that it’s covered in what appears to be large plasters and bandages. You rub your eyes in disbelief. They literally look like the kinds of plasters you’d use if you grazed your knee, but blown up to a much bigger size and plastered all over it. You want to get a closer look, so ask: “Can you take me to the base of the structure, please?” The Head Builder nods in response to your request. “Boss, if you don’t mind me asking, why are you interested in coming down here? Don’t you just want to get to your office? That’s what all the other architects normally do.” You smile at the suggestion that you’d allow yourself to fall into that stereotype. “I need to see what’s actually going on, because otherwise I’m not going to know if our ...

This is the second part of the chapter titled “The Data Architecture Construction Project”, from the book “ The Data Garden And Other Data Allegories ”. ______________________________ What’s going on?! You’re being driven in for your first day by your Head Builder. This is the first time you’ve been to Data Insight Town, and as you look out at the passing buildings and structures, your jaw drops. Buildings are crammed together in a total mish-mash of different shapes, sizes and styles. Some look high tech and well maintained and others look half-finished and derelict. At seemingly random intervals, the buildings and roadworks are interspersed with large data garbage heaps, which in some cases are spilling out into the road, slowing data traffic and causing data people to swerve dangerously to avoid them. One minute you can feel the car gliding along on a nice flat, high quality road, the next you’re bumping over makeshift data dirt roads, which act as rough connections from one smooth ...

This is the first part of the chapter titled “The Data Architecture Construction Project”, from the book “ The Data Garden And Other Data Allegories ”. ______________________________ An exciting opportunity… or is it? You’ve been waiting for this for a long time. It’s the opportunity you’ve been training for and it’s a great honour. After many years of working in various different roles, working your way up the ranks and building experience across numerous positions, you’ve finally made it. What you don’t realise, just yet, is quite what you’re getting yourself into. Three months ago, you successfully completed the build of a new business estate on the outskirts of Master Data City. It used cutting edge new technologies and has become widely recognised as a masterpiece of data engineering. It’s become the catalyst for a total transformation of the fortunes of those living and working in the area and prompted a significant increase in investment in similar developments nearby. Fifty mil...

I'm happy to present in full, the  sixth chapter  from the book “ The Data Garden And Other Data Allegories ”, titled "THE DATA LITERACY DRIVING SCHOOL". ______________________________  The reluctant student You look over at your driving instructor and sigh.  Why do I have to do this again?  you think. Taking data taxis had always been fine before. This seems like it’s going to be a lot of effort, and for what? Your company’s enrolled you on a mandatory data literacy driving course. For years, data employees have been paying to use other people’s data cars to get places, but after a series of wasted journeys and large-scale data car crashes, there has been a decision to educate everyone on how to drive. Someone realised that if people didn’t know how to drive a data car, they wouldn’t be able to effectively direct a data taxi driver to get the best out of their journey. At this point, you’re pretty sure you’re never going to need to use these new skills that you...

This is the seventh part of the chapter titled “The Data Literacy Driving School”, from the book “ The Data Garden And Other Data Allegories ”. ______________________________ Driving to work Two weeks after that final lesson, you pass your test and get your data literacy driving license. You’re provided with a company data car to drive and even offer some of your ex-colleagues lifts. Within weeks, you’re driving all over the place. You’re running deliveries, helping senior management get places they’ve never been before, and haven’t had a single data car crash or wasted data journey. You’re so productive, you get a promotion. Who would’ve thought that knowing how to drive a data car could make you so much more valuable to your company? Congratulations! You’re now the Head of Data Driving Stewards. ______________________________ Lesson 6: Data Literacy is like knowing how to drive. Mis-using data can result in a data car crash, so the better educated people are in how to understand and ...

This is the sixth part of the chapter titled “The Data Literacy Driving School”, from the book “ The Data Garden And Other Data Allegories ”. ______________________________ Being a responsible data driver “Now,” your driving instructor continues, “you’ve come a long way since your first lesson. You can comfortably control a data car and have shown that you are developing good navigational skills. You also now understand some of the pitfalls that can result in you going down the wrong data insight alley or that can completely prevent you from progressing. There is one last, important lesson, which I’ve brought you to this sorry road to explain.” You’re a bit taken aback by your instructor’s kind words. You know that you’ve been making good progress, but didn’t realise you were so close to being ready to get your license. “Thanks, that’s great to hear. What is your final lesson?” “This final lesson is something that even many experienced data drivers never seem to grasp; and yet, it’s so...

This is the fifth part of the chapter titled “The Data Literacy Driving School”, from the book “ The Data Garden And Other Data Allegories ”. ______________________________ Missing signs and potholes Your next set of lessons is about dangers on the road and how to avoid them. The first one surprises you: it’s about road signs. As you’re driving down a road that your instructor has taken you several times before, he asks you to look up and see if there’s anything that you can see that’s missing. You shake your head: it all looks the same as it’s always looked, to you. “OK,” the instructor responds, “so if you’d never been down this road before, how would you know where you are?” Then it hits you. There are no road signs, at all. Nothing to say what road you’re on, what the speed limit is, or anything. Then you notice there aren’t even any road markings. You’re astounded that you’ve never noticed it before. The instructor chuckles at your reaction. “Never go down a data road without any ...

This is the fourth part of the chapter titled “The Data Literacy Driving School”, from the book “ The Data Garden And Other Data Allegories ”. ______________________________ Avoiding dead-ends As time goes by, you find yourself increasingly confident in your driving. The data car seems to move more smoothly as you manipulate the controls with increasing aptitude. You find yourself able to concentrate better, without your attention flitting between all the various things you need to remember, and you’re using the dials as though you’ve always known how to use them. It’s still taking quite a bit of effort to remember everything you need to do and there’s the odd time that you crunch the gears or swerve a bit too close to the curb, but the instructor is able to sit back and say less and less as you show you know what you’re doing. How on earth did I get by before? you think, as you drive along, remembering how clueless and helpless you’d been when you were just a passenger in a taxi, tot...

This is the third part of the chapter titled “The Data Literacy Driving School”, from the book “ The Data Garden And Other Data Allegories ”. ______________________________ The awkward first drive It’s relatively easy for you to get the car to move forwards, although it feels a bit awkward at first. The car shudders and stutters a bit as your unsteady feet control the pedals, but fairly soon you find yourself moving cautiously forwards, eyes darting between the road and the mirrors, suddenly conscious of how much you need to be aware of as you navigate from the driving school’s car park towards the main road. The instructor tells you to stop the data car at the entrance of the data driving school, before you get onto the road. You both sit in silence for a moment, surveying the scene before you. The driving school is on the top of a hill, which provides a clear line of sight over the sprawling spaghetti of roads and buildings that makes up Transaction Data City. You can see the mass of...

  This is the second part of the chapter titled “The Data Literacy Driving School”, from the book “ The Data Garden And Other Data Allegories ”. ______________________________ Discovering The Unknown Unknowns The first thing your instructor talks you through is an overview of how everything works. To your relief, he doesn’t just ask you to start the engine straight away. He explains what things are, how they work, and key things to look out for when you get started. His explanations provide you with the framework of terminology that enable you to understand what he’s talking about when you get on the road and he’s instructing you on where to go. There are a set of dials that are used to monitor how the car’s operating. The key ones tell you how much data fuel is in the tank, how many data revolutions the engine is making and what the car’s current data quality speed is. You learn that you need to keep checking these dials to monitor the performance of the car and to make sure you’r...