Data Strategy

Thanks to Net Galley and Kogan Page Ltd for an advance copy of this 2nd Edition. This book is a good foundation book to those trying to understand data and analytics from the ground up and how it is used in our world today, but really this book is really for executives that need to understand how to make their data work in line with their overall business strategy It sets out by explaining the concept of how data, how it is collected and how analytics inform so much in our world, from the healthcare industry/the fight against COVID to how elections are being driven by collective intelligence and predicting how we will vote based on Facebook likes. This book also provides insights to AI and the Internet of Things (IoT).

This book explains the explains the process for selecting key data use cases, questions to ask yourself, how to achieve buy in , what data governance issues need to be addressed, developing a data culture and transitioning through to a becoming a data driven organisation. For me, I believe planning and defining a good data strategy can be tricky at the best of times and I think may be difficult for companies on the beginning of their data maturity journey to look at some of the examples provided in the book and apply them subjectively, as the examples provided appear to be from a more advanced maturity stage. However the author provided a widespread view on all the enablers and elements of a good data strategy, so from that perspective I do believe this book is a good reference point and provides the reader with the questions to ask themselves and others when defining a data strategy.

Marr's mantra in Data Strategy: How to to Profit from a World of Big Data, Analytics and the Internet of Things is straightforward: "Every company is a data company."

In this wide-ranging book, written for business executives, Marr spends most of his time looking at the 'how' of data: how it's being used by a wide range of industries, from health care to aerospace, how business leaders can marshal data plans to suit their needs, how data itself is a product that can be sold by innovative companies.

I'm someone just entering the field of Data Strategy, and I found Marr's final chapters on the "why" of data to be fascinating. He puts the return on investing in data analysis at 13/1, and shows how the burgeoning need for data scientists matches the burgeoning number of uses (and sources) of data.

Data Strategy is a comprehensive and insightful look at a dynamic field of business--well worth the time to read for everyone from business leaders to those curious about the field.