As the amount of data created and consumed continues to soar - with data volumes expected to almost double in size between 2022 and 2026 - successfully managing and harnessing that data is a top priority for many businesses this year, especially as more strive to be effectively "data-driven." 

So for those who have yet to make good on their resolutions to re-evaluate and enhance their data management strategy, it's not too late. Think of it as "spring cleaning" - and what better time to take stock of your data management strategy than with the changing seasons? 

Keeping this in mind, VMblog has compiled some different perspectives and advice from a few industry experts for data teams to consider as they look to freshen up their data-driven initiatives.

++

John Knieriemen, North America Business Lead, Exasol

"With a change in season, many Chief Data Officers (CDOs) are likely planning a spring data clean up of their own. Here's where to start, from my conversations with chief data scientists, data analysts and CDOs:

Companies often have a plethora of data at their fingertips and yet are unable to gain valuable insights from said data. A consideration is to take stock of the data and institute a clear data management strategy and how the data will be evaluated. IT leaders must regularly ask themselves - where should the data live? What is our process? How can we set ourselves up for success? This should be analyzed not only at the start of a new year or season, but at least once each quarter for optimal business success. As we move forward in 2023, the ever-present debate will continue regarding the move to the cloud versus on-prem. While most organizations are jumping to the cloud, it's important to take note of where your organization is currently at with its architecture and decide if a full shift to the cloud causes too much disruption. If so, you'll likely want to take a phased approach to the cloud - one that factors in what type of data can be moved immediately to the cloud, and which data sets can wait until a better time.

Another important consideration is to ensure that an organization has the correct team and internal resources in place to support this data ‘cleanse.' Ensuring that an organization has the correct players - CDO, CIO, data scientists, etc. - in order to deep clean your data is imperative. As CDOs take on a more strategic role within their organizations to better support a comprehensive data strategy - an increasingly urgent business imperative - their responsibilities and skill sets are evolving too. In tandem, organizations are constantly undergoing internal scrutiny to ensure their business is structured appropriately, and this ongoing assessment of business structures and operations as well as the technology, innovation, and strategies, will allow for a clear path forward aligned with the business' overarching goals. 

Overall, it's important not to lose sight of the end goal: a clear data management strategy that elevates concise, shareable data points and allows for companies to hone in and have success amidst turbulent times. This focus will allow organizations to thrive and well-position themselves for the long-term future." 

++

Glenn Mulvaney, Vice President, Cloud Operations and Security, Clumio

"Efficient data storage is just as necessary as and in direct relation to, data security. Think of your cloud and data stores as rooms in a house. Organizations must go through each repository of information, clear out unnecessary material, and know where and how their data is stored to ensure it is also being protected. Necessary measures may include purging duplicate or abandoned copies and archives, consolidating backups, and air gapping critical information to lower costs and increase resilience against deletions, corruptions, and ransomware attacks. The ability to look inside storage and backups by means of an index and catalog also helps understand its usability and lineage. This is critical for compliance audits and proving disaster resilience. It's time to clean out those old snapshots, replicas, and archives, and consolidate data archival and backups into a well-cataloged, searchable platform that ensures efficient storage and observable data trails that are easy to maintain on an ongoing basis." 

++

Matthew Scullion, co-founder and CEO, Matillion

"The key to competitive success for today's enterprises is harnessing data for decision-making, which has led to massive adoption of the cloud to collect, store and analyze as much data as possible. Just as important as having the data, however, is making sure a substantial percentage of that data becomes useful. 

In a recent survey, nearly 40% of data teams admitted that they don't fully understand how data is being used in their organizations. As cloud data grows, organizations must achieve a greater level of data productivity. Without it, they can't use enough of the data, can't use it fast enough and can't use it to run and improve their business-limiting the value it can have. If a company ignores data productivity, this will mean less accurate insights, decreased talent retention as data teams will be burnt out, and hefty costs that come with storing unused data in the cloud due to outdated processes."

##