Everyone is talking about being “data driven” and the importance of “delivering new data insights”. But you have to consider what is under the surface and how the technology infrastructure supports (or impedes) those goals. Here is a very useful view of how Monzo, a well-known startup bank, has put together its data stack.
https://medium.com/data-monzo/an-introduction-to-monzos-data-stack-827ae531bc99
We follow two principles to guide our choices on the data platform and how we structure our data team:
- Centralised data management
- Decentralised value creation
Centralised data management allows companies to have a 360 degree view of their customers and their business. It unlocks data-driven decision making which is key to competing in today’s markets. Next to having all the data in one place, centralised data management also enables organisational efficiencies. Many data operations and data governance problems become a lot easier to solve if everyone in a company treats data in the same way.
Decentralised value creation means we have a discipline of data folks that work embedded across the entire company. This is sometimes known as a hub and spoke model. The teams closest to the problem space are the ones creating their data products.