Intraversed myth busting:
Myth Busting: Mapping the data fabric of your organisation has value for the business
ESTIMATED READING TIME: 1.6 MINUTES
Why People Believe the Myth
When there's a LOT of data stored in a lot of places, used for a lot of things, achieving a universal map, a visual of everything, seems to promise an end to unknown data pathways and problems. Such a data fabric map is an understandably desirable dream.
The Problem with the Myth
The first problem with this myth is that it's rarely achievable. Even the most expensive (and it often is very expensive) and advanced technology can't promise to fully deliver this clear, birds-eye-view of a large organisation's data landscape, one that is constantly changing. So it equates to huge investment for little benefit.
Further, there's an assumption that this large-scale mapping will help resolve business problems. However, it's rarely the unpacking of a business problem that leads IT to the doorstep of vendors of these technologies. It wasn't an adequate investigation into the root causes of a business problem that then indicated the solution lay in implementing a data fabric.
On the contrary, it was often the seductive marketing of the dream — a fully mapped data landscape, with hypothetical scenarios of simplified data management and self service - that appealed to IT staff. And who wouldn't find that alluring? The promises of tech advertising sparkle with the possibility of solving all data management's problems.
This tech-dream-driven spending is rarely a good idea. It leads to huge costs and poor ROI, because the root causes of the business's actual problems weren't driving the solution purchases.
What We Suggest Instead of Following This Myth
No technology should ever be purchased that doesn't specifically answer a raised and investigated business problem. And by "investigated" we mean the problem has been unpacked, the root cause/s identified, and effective solutions to those causes have been researched, with a tech solution being sought to meet these clearly defined requirements – no fantasy data nirvana sales pitch in sight.
Our award-winning Intralign Ecosystem methodology enables cultural shift towards business-managed encyclopaedias of organisational IP through education, software, business glossary writing expertise, and expert mentoring & support. Learn more here.
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Mark Atkins
Mark is a co-founder & Chief Development Officer at Intraversed, helping organisations improve business resilience through the Intralign Ecosystem, an award winning methodology for managing organisational IP, to reduce risk of regulatory non-Compliance, loss of knowledge through staff attrition, and unrealised ROI on technology spend.
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