Build a Robust and Comprehensive Data Strategy
Build a data strategy that’s organization first, not technology first.
Data finds its greatest value when it can help with critical decisions and lead to outcomes. For data to achieve those goals, it’s essential that data leaders are the ultimate translators between organizational requirements and technical data capabilities. Use this blueprint to decode your stakeholders’ key concerns and organizational goals and objectives, so you can build a data strategy that powers the enterprise and makes you a trusted and valued partner to the organization.
Data isn’t a backroom concern; it’s a strategic resource that’s becoming even more critical as organizations seek to make the most of digital transformations and AI and get more out of their investments. Data teams already add value to their organization – the key to success for data strategy is in aligning with the organization and communicating the value to your stakeholders.
1. Data has no inherent value without an organization-aligned strategy
You can collect and store endless amounts of data, which alone will have no value. The power of data is in the way your organization uses it. Data leadership is often siloed from the wider decision-making capabilities of the organization. A robust and comprehensive data strategy is the first essential step in making data leaders valuable partners.
2. Don’t forget the people in "people, process, and technology"
Engage with leaders and stakeholders in various functions within the organization to understand what data would be valuable to them. It’s critical to align your data strategy with organizational and department outcomes and communicate the data strategy effectively to become an invaluable partner.
3. Take an organization-first approach, not a technology-first approach
Many data strategies place focus on the tools and technical capabilities being employed, rather than the benefits they provide to the organization. Focus on your organization’s strategic vision and key initiatives first, and the technical capabilities of your data team next. A data leader must be both an organizational strategist and a technical savant.
Use this step-by-step blueprint to create your organization-aligned data strategy
By empowering your organization to shape its data journey and create strategies that are driven by organizational needs, you can ensure that their data initiatives yield meaningful, long-term value. This comprehensive research includes actionable templates as tools to help you:
- Establish the scope of your data strategy and the key stakeholders required to identify supporting strategies, pain points, and needs from across your organization.
- Develop a vision and guiding principles for your data strategy that prioritize value-driven initiatives.
- Communicate your data strategy to key stakeholders in commercial terms rather than technical terms to earn support for ongoing data-led initiatives.
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After each Info-Tech experience, we ask our members to quantify the real-time savings, monetary impact, and project improvements our research helped them achieve. See our top member experiences for this blueprint and what our clients have to say.
9.4/10
Overall Impact
$54,643
Average $ Saved
33
Average Days Saved
Client
Experience
Impact
$ Saved
Days Saved
Southwest Gas Corporation
Workshop
10/10
$75,350
80
Claudia did a great job facilitating and keeping the group engaged. The content was very informative and sets us up for success as we establish a f... Read More
Heritage Petroleum Co Ltd
Guided Implementation
9/10
$2,329
5
PG Group
Guided Implementation
10/10
N/A
110
The best was having a sounding board in Crystal and the invaluable advice and experience she shared with me. The tools she was able to share with m... Read More
Kindercare Education LLC
Guided Implementation
10/10
$109K
20
Best: Excellent discussions to zero-in and prioritize which components of the Data Strategy are the most important for Kindercare. Worst: Ther... Read More
Norfolk State University
Guided Implementation
10/10
$13,700
20
The data strategy resources shared were most helpful.
Rosemont Pharmaceuticals Ltd
Guided Implementation
9/10
N/A
N/A
Lilima said "I would give 9 to Igor, he is really helpful". Obviously this is an ongoing engagement so will consider any time impact at the end.
Lindt & Sprungli (north America) Inc.
Guided Implementation
10/10
$1,370
1
Tessy Plastics Corporation
Guided Implementation
10/10
$41,100
10
Best - Working with Igor Worst- (Not really a worst) - Being unable to utilize all the great information and be able to impact change immediately.
Angola LNG
Guided Implementation
10/10
N/A
10
Best part 1 - Time saving by using Infotech tools and advice 2 - Prompt support from Crystal 3 - Tools and documentation Worst part N/A
Rollins
Guided Implementation
10/10
$13,700
10
The best part has been that Crystal Singh is exceptionally informative and deeply knowledgeable about data strategy and related subject matter. She... Read More
Oregon Department of Education
Guided Implementation
10/10
$12,330
55
Lindt & Sprungli (north America) Inc.
Guided Implementation
7/10
N/A
2
I'm not sure I had a good idea of what I wanted to get from the call, so in the end the outcome was limited. However, I got a few good nuggets and ... Read More
City Of Avondale
Workshop
10/10
$65,075
26
Howard was an excellent facilitator and very knowledgeable on the topic of data.
ENERGYUNITED ELECTRIC MEMBERSHIP CORPORATION
Guided Implementation
9/10
$6,850
2
Modesto Irrigation District
Workshop
10/10
$137K
110
The workshop was a big success for us. The deliverables are immediately useful and have jumpstarted our data journey. Gordon McMaster did a fanta... Read More
Dead River Company, LLC
Guided Implementation
10/10
$137K
N/A
Altium Packaging
Guided Implementation
10/10
$137K
50
Showing our progress and getting feedback on our current focus and next steps.
Wolf & Company, P.C.
Guided Implementation
10/10
$41,100
16
First Hope Bank
Workshop
10/10
$34,250
60
The facilitation of the workshop was excellent. The organization of the information and the pace of the workshop kept everyone engaged and I thoug... Read More
Halifax Port Authority
Workshop
9/10
$100K
50
Jean facilitated an open and engaging workshop to ensure active participation by all involved. This is essential to help create company wide awaren... Read More
Lindt & Sprungli (north America) Inc.
Guided Implementation
10/10
$2,192
2
We are very early in with regard to understanding of Graph database technologies and their use so the discussion took some time to ingest and self ... Read More
City of Greensboro
Workshop
8/10
$37,675
29
The collaborative experience we aimed to foster internally was only achieved in this info-tech-led workshop.
Heritage Petroleum Co Ltd
Guided Implementation
8/10
$2,740
10
DKV Euro Service GmbH + Co. KG
Guided Implementation
9/10
$73,999
18
ITW Food Equipment Group, LLC dba Hobart
Workshop
9/10
$137K
100
Best: Focused time with the Data team and Senior Leadership to ensure alignment and document pain points across functions. Our facilitator was very... Read More
Westconsin Credit Union
Guided Implementation
9/10
$13,700
5
County of San Luis Obispo
Workshop
10/10
$68,500
10
Best: Collaboration, getting our strategic deliverables near done, having a knowledgeable expert to help us discern options and steer us to real v... Read More
South West Water
Guided Implementation
10/10
$6,840
10
Lifeway Christian Resources
Guided Implementation
10/10
$13,700
5
RCL Group Services (Pty) Ltd
Guided Implementation
9/10
$20,500
10
Best: - Clarity of insight and explanation. - Practical experience - Relevance Worst: (from my team's perspective) -- they have to do more wo... Read More
Workshop: Build a Robust and Comprehensive Data Strategy
Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.
Module 1: Establish scope of your data strategy
The Purpose
Define
the full scope of your data strategy.
Key Benefits Achieved
Alignment with the group on how far your data strategy will
(and won’t) go.
Activities
Outputs
Identify your organization’s strategic vision and goals.
- Business context; strategic drivers.
- Sample vision and mission statements.
Identify the business initiatives that support the organizational strategy.
Discuss the importance of vision, mission, and guiding principles of the organization’s data strategy.
- Data strategy guiding principles.
Module 2: Gather the key inputs for your strategy
The Purpose
Align
and bring together what will inform your data strategy.
Key Benefits Achieved
- A clearer view of the organization’s needs and pains outside of your data team.
- A view of your overall data maturity and culture.
Activities
Outputs
Conduct line-of-business deep dives to understand supporting strategies and tactics, pain points, and current and desired uses and applications of data.
- Line-of-business inputs and considerations for data initiatives and strategies.
Identify critical risks to your data strategy.
- Data strategy risks and inhibitors.
Assess your current data culture.
- Data culture diagnostics results.
Module 3: Align on how to increase business value from data
The Purpose
Focus
on a business-first approach to your data strategy by thinking about how you
can leverage data to achieve key business outcomes.
Key Benefits Achieved
Take
the first step in changing the culture of both your data teams and users to
focus on business outcomes.
Activities
Outputs
Establish line-of-business data gain and pain-relieving initiatives.
Establish data team(s) gain and pain-relieving initiatives.
- Data initiatives definition.
Consolidate your data initiatives and establish your top data strategies.
- Data strategies definition.
Module 4: Develop your data strategy and value delivery horizons
The Purpose
Formalize elements of your data strategy and provide an initial view of future delivery based on the strategy.
Key Benefits Achieved
Be
in a position to ask for executive alignment along with a clear view of next
steps.
Activities
Outputs
Assess data initiative feasibility.
- List of prioritized data strategies and initiatives.
Map value to corporate and functional strategic goals (and timing).
- Data value maps.
Rationalize your initiative list based on strategic value alignment.
Establish your “big bet.”
- Your data strategy “big bet.”
Complete your data strategy tactic cards.
- Data strategy tactic cards.
Outline your key CXO asks and next steps.
- Outline key CxO asks.
On Demand
Webinar
Uncover the Key to Developing an Effective Data Strategy
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About Info-Tech
Info-Tech Research Group is the world’s fastest-growing information technology research and advisory company, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals.
We produce unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. We partner closely with IT teams to provide everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.
What Is a Blueprint?
A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your IT problems.
Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.
You get:
- Data Strategy C-Suite Presentation Template
- Business Context Interview Guide
- Data Strategy Stakeholder Interview Guide and Findings
- Data Initiatives & Strategy Ideation Primer
- Data Value Mapping Tool
Need Extra Help?
Speak With An Analyst
Get the help you need in this 5-phase advisory process. You'll receive 11 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.
Guided Implementation 1: Understand Your Corporate Objectives & Initiatives
- Call 1: Scope requirements, objectives, and your specific challenges.
- Call 2: Establish business context for your strategy.
- Call 3: Establish vision, mission, and guiding principles.
Guided Implementation 2: Gather Your Key Inputs for Your Strategy
- Call 1: Debrief line of business deep dive.
- Call 2: Identify risks and inhibitors to your data strategy.
Guided Implementation 3: Ideate on How to Increase Business Value From Data
- Call 1: Define your data initiatives portfolio.
- Call 2: Define your data strategies and key tactics.
Guided Implementation 4: Rationalize Priorities That Enable Business Goals
- Call 1: Assess data initiative feasibility and prioritization.
- Call 2: Rationalize your initiatives portfolio and align strategic value.
- Call 3: Define your “big bet” and complete your strategy cards.
Guided Implementation 5: Finalize Your Business Data Strategy
- Call 1: Summarize results and plan next steps.
Contributors
Three Anonymous External Contributors:
- CDO (Government Entity)
- Sr Director Data & Analytics (Investment Management)
- Director of Business Intelligence (B2C SaaS Product)
Establish an Analytics Operating Model
Create and Manage Enterprise Data Models
Build a Robust and Comprehensive Data Strategy
Mandate Data Valuation Before It’s Mandated
Position and Agree on ROI to Maximize the Impact of Data and Analytics
Create a Data Management Roadmap
Establish Data Governance
Build a Data Architecture Roadmap
Build a Data Integration Strategy
Build a Data Pipeline for Reporting and Analytics
Build Your Data Quality Program
Mitigate Machine Bias
Design Data-as-a-Service
Create an Architecture for AI
Get Started With Artificial Intelligence
Go the Extra Mile With Blockchain
Understand the Data and Analytics Landscape
Select Your Data Platform
Build Your Data Practice and Platform
Establish Data Governance – APAC Edition
Foster Data-Driven Culture With Data Literacy
Generative AI: Market Primer
Establish Effective Data Stewardship
Identify and Build the Data & Analytics Skills Your Organization Needs
Promote Data Literacy in Your Organization
Define a Data Practice Strategy to Power an Autonomous Enterprise
