IT Brief, Australia and New Zealand: Cognizant’s Assistant Vice President of Enterprise Information Management Tells How to Turn Digital Code into Competitive Edge

“CIOs are about to be joined at the C-level summit by CDOs…Chief Data Officers,” writes Poornima Ramaswamy. “For digital natives, it’s second-nature to put data and digital processes at the heart of their strategy and use data-based insights to make their decisions.” Excerpts:

“Here are six steps that CDOs can take to nurture a thriving data culture that, along with a well-tuned data strategy, turns digital code into a competitive edge.

#1 Map your organization’s use of data: Employees need to perceive data as a flexible asset whose use and value ripples throughout the organization.

#2 Focus on the “art of the possible”: The hallmark of a data culture is the ability to understand the versatility of data and identify alternative uses for it.

#3 Be transparent about data: Data can become a valued asset only if its accuracy is trusted, its provenance is well established and its security is safeguarded.

#4 Develop reward-sharing: The data initiatives selected for recognition should be aligned with the organization’s innovation objectives.

#5 Identify areas of friction: In a thriving data culture, information-sharing should be a way of life, not a source of tension.

#6 Elevate the conversation: Everyone in the organization should be made aware of the real purpose behind a data culture: to sharpen the corporate strategy and drive innovation.

By taking these steps, CDOs can help their organizations move towards managing data as a strategic asset.”

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