Big Data MBA

Chapter 14Organizational Ramifications

Now comes the hard part. No, it's not the technology and knowing what technologies to back and which ones might fade. No, it's not the lack of data science talent. And no, it's not even gaining the buy-in of the business stakeholders, though that can be a huge issue, as we have discussed throughout this book.

The biggest threat to the success of any organization's big data initiative is the organizational impediments. More accurately put, it is overcoming the organizational inertia and implementing the organizational and cultural changes necessary to advance from business monitoring to business optimization, monetization, and ultimately metamorphosis. It's tough to get the organization to “think differently.” As Pogo famously said, “We have met the enemy and he is us.”

In this chapter, you will explore the role of the Chief Data Officer, which I prefer to call the Chief Data Monetization Officer. You are going to consider the trio of privacy, trust, and decision (not data) governance. And finally, the chapter concludes with guidance for liberating the organization and unleashing the only thing standing between big data mediocrity and big data metamorphosis—creative thinking.

Chief Data Monetization Officer

There's a new sheriff in the big data world and that's the Chief Data Officer (CDO). A more accurate title for this role is Chief Data Monetization Officer (CDMO), as this person should focus on driving and deriving value from the organization's ...