With everything on a business leader’s plate, cybersecurity can often feel like an afterthought. Between managing teams, pursuing new opportunities, and dealing with the bottom line, who has time to keep up with the latest hacker threats and security defenses? Especially if you don’t have your IT staff focused solely on locking down the castle […]
Fundamentals of Data Preparation
Data is often called the raw material of the information age, and it does share characteristics with the resources that power other industries. For example, imagine trying to make a car out of unrefined iron ore. A lot of processing happens between the mine and the factory. Data is no different. In its “raw” form, […]
Mind the Gap: Ask for Business Actions, Not Business Value
I’m not sure I know anyone in the data and analytics field whose platform doesn’t face budget scrutiny. Analytics is expensive. And when cost-cutting is the order of the day, analytics is a big target. Up shields. Time for another business value inventory. I’ve spoken with consultants who have completed analytics business value inventories at […]
Data Management in an Industrial Environment
Industrial environments are rich data sources, from equipment pressure and temperature readings to real-time inventory levels. This ocean of data provides organizations with valuable insights when (and if) effectively harnessed. By transforming raw data generated across the floor 24/7 into actionable intelligence, industrial plants are equipped with data-informed insights necessary to create operational strategies that […]
Large Language Models 101
Large language models (LLMs), built on the transformer architecture of deep learning, are designed to process very high volumes of textual data at a high speed. LLMs also have the power to generate new text and interact with human language innovatively. Training on different types of data, including articles, books, periodicals, and websites, LLMs develop […]
Data Visualization in the Era of AI/ML
How will data visualization evolve in the era of AI/ML? While AI is rapidly evolving, it is ironic that business users are still using “dumb” dashboards. The challenge is to move beyond these unintelligent dashboards to a genuinely transformative visual analytics solution that harnesses the power of AI/ML. While some vendors offer a ChatGPT-like querying […]
How Retail Data Products Are Changing Customer Journey Mapping
The retail world is constantly evolving, and in this fast-paced environment, understanding your customer is more important than ever. It’s no longer just about making a sale; it’s about creating a journey that turns casual shoppers into loyal customers. With the rise of advanced retail data tools, businesses can now dig deep into customer preferences and behaviors […]
Data Product vs. Data as a Product (DaaP): Understanding the Difference
Data quality (DQ), which ensures that data is fit for business and consumer needs, remains a significant challenge and is growing more complex. According to a dbt Labs 2024 report, 57% of survey respondents identified data quality as a challenging aspect to data preparation, up from 41% in 2022. To address these data quality challenges, companies increasingly […]
Achieving Cost-Efficient Observability in Cloud-Native Environments
Cloud-native environments have become the cornerstone of modern technology innovation. From nimble startups to tech giants, companies are adopting cloud-native architectures, drawn by the promise of scalability, flexibility, and rapid deployment. However, this power comes with increased complexity – and a pressing need for observability. The Observability Imperative Operating a cloud-native system without proper observability […]
Zero Emissions Day: How Data Centers Are Pioneering the Path to a Carbon-Free Future
In this ever-changing world, responsible management of our limited resources is increasingly important. It’s no secret that data centers consume a lot of power, but there are multiple ways in which data center operators reduce their energy consumption and optimize their power utilization. Aside from tracking energy consumption, energy intensity and PUE, many have even […]