Technology plays an important role in being data-driven but it only works when supported by the right behaviours. We've bought a dashboard / We've acquired some self-service analytics / We're investing in AI - on their own these will not succeed. Becoming data-driven isn't a technology programme, it's a people programme. You need to be […]

An artificial intelligence (AI) strategy depends on information the organisation can use for its intended purpose. Before committing to a new service, leaders need to establish whether that information is available and whether its meaning and limitations are understood. Data management and governance therefore belong in the initial investment discussion. Accurate data remains essential. The […]

As a Trainer, I am always looking for ways to make learning more interesting. I look for analogies that I can turn into stories. Telling a story with a message, helps students remember the lesson and be able to apply the learning. That is my mission! Walking the streets of Edinburgh: Where Data Foundations makes […]

A Thought Leadership Paper by Jill Flynnpublished in collaboration with Datanacity Figure 1: The Literacy Path to Responsible AI Use Opening position The first article in this series established that trusted data remains the foundation of trustworthy AI. The next question is whether the people using that data, and the AI systems built upon it, […]

International Literacy Day had me thinking about literacy, not just the reading-and-writing kind, but the kind we need now: Data Literacy.  This got me thinking further and who came to mind wasn’t a data scientist or a tech leader, it was Dolly Parton.  Yes, Dolly. Sequins, Songwriting, Storytelling Dolly, but also, the Dolly who quietly […]

I’ve been travelling and decided to wander (well cruise actually) up to the Baltic, and Gdańsk absolutely floored me. Gdansk was flattened during World War 2 but with effort and care was reconstructed using the fallen bricks and mortar. But, in addition it was redeveloped to embrace modern methods and designs.  And, that’s the perfect […]

Opening positionArtificial intelligence has changed the conversation about data, but it has not changed the foundation.Across organisations, leaders are asking how they can use AI to improve productivity, customer service, decision-making, automation and insight. These are important questions. However, a more basic question often needs to be asked first: Is the organisation's data ready to […]

Working with data is no longer confined to specialists; almost every role now involves interpreting, using, or collaborating with data. Organisations expect faster, evidence-based decisions, yet lack staff with the ability to work speedily with data. Taking messy information, interpreting, structuring it, cleaning it, identifying patterns and trends, creating reports, and communicating findings in a […]

Does your organisation fully appreciate how important data capability is to success?Does it appreciate the need for all employees to have a minimum level of data-related competency? Data is no longer a specialist skill; it is a core business capability. Many organisations understand that data is the foundation on which their processes operate.  However, translating […]

Customer Centricity Those of us who were around in the 90’s and early 2000’s will remember the focus that most organisations started to place on Customer Centricity. Suddenly everyone in the business had customers, not just the sales personnel who dealt with the buying public. The realisation that every person in the organisation was producing […]