If I ask every executive I know, “Is Data an asset?” I will get the same answer from 100% of the execs – “YES!” But do we really believe it? Here is what I mean:
If data were gold – would you care for all of your gold?
If data were chairs – would you not account for all of your chairs?
If data were your workers – would you invest in it?
Of course, the answer is “Yes.” I propose you treat data this way. Here is what I propose:
1) Acquire the asset: ALL data has value – get it all!
2) Prepare it: Use what is fit for purpose and develop structures (perhaps dimensional or aggregations) to optimize the access
3) Deploy the asset: Build reports, point tools at it, and give SQL access
4) Manage the asset: Add more space, purge undesired data, get more, and build more aggregations or reference tables.
Make sense! If data is an asset, treat it like an asset.
Until next time.
Dr. Dave