Simplifying a data problem can ensure a better buy-in
Resolving challenges for data integration can be quite a challenge. Find a single collective cry that helps to frame the problem and achieve results.
Image: chanut iamnoy, Getty Images / iStockphoto
A few weeks ago a small leak on a mountain bike resulted in my first bone ever broken. When I fell, I knew that there was something unusual and a quick glance at my right hand made it very clear that everything was not right, because my little finger was pointing about 90 degrees in the wrong direction. Luckily I was with my son and I had my cell phone, so he and I were able to walk the bikes where my wife could pick us up and take us to an urgent orthopedic care center to embark on what has become a longer than expected road to recovery.
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One of the interesting things that struck me from my first visit to emergency care through my surgery and follow-up visits was that I was constantly asked for my pharmacy information. The very first form that I filled out, sitting in my cycling gear with a pack of ice on my right hand and pen that filled out the form on my left, clumsily asked for pharmacy information. The receptionist asked the same question, and I assumed she couldn’t read the chicken scratch my non-dominant hand had produced. She diligently typed what I assumed to be my favorite pharmacy in her computer. When I returned to the exam room, the nurse took my vital functions, furiously filled information in the ubiquitous computer terminal that is now in every medical facility in the US and asked again about my favorite pharmacy. This game went on, and I must have provided my pharmacy information at least two dozen times to different medical staff, all of whom had a computer terminal within reach, and most worked for the same hospital network.
Although it was a bit of a minor inconvenience, I finally started to wonder which other data was not shared or recorded, or not shared with the parties who needed it. If something happens during my operation, is an important part of my medical information possibly not available?
Find your pharmacy
It was clear that the hospital network had a problem sharing data between systems, or perhaps training employees about where to find data, so multiple questions asked for the same piece of information. I am sure their IT staff has spent hundreds of hours wringing the complexity of these all too common problems, and perhaps they have failed to convince the forces that are important to solve their technical or training challenges. .
The story about a patient being asked over and over again for a preferred pharmacy is a simple and reliable example of what is probably a fairly complex problem. It is also an easy to understand and measurable goal for solving a series of underlying technical and human problems that also have a very tangible impact on the patient’s experience. All too often, when solving data-related problems, we go into the details and technology rather than finding a simplified, reliable, and representative example of the problem.
Simplify your communication
Like many complex technical topics, an ability to share a related and highly human story can lead to action much faster than the most thoughtful technical arguments or detailed integration diagrams combined. Similarly, the ability to find an impactful story can serve as a health check for your data-related projects. If you cannot state concisely how data collection, sharing or analysis can have a real impact on your business or its customers, then the project may not be as valuable as you thought or it may be a tough fight for funding that might not purely on the technical merits.
Look for opportunities to merge your data-related efforts into a simplified, recognizable statistic. Questions: “What if we had sales data a week earlier?” you may find it easier to get financing for your data lake project than a presentation with 90 slides about the merits of Hadoop. Similarly, you have a leading goal for your data projects that is easier to understand than a Gantt chart or status slide, and often more successful in generating lasting interest and excitement in the enterprise. Ultimately, the best technology leaders often have a unique ability to turn complex technical problems into simple, recognizable stories with a well-defined goal. Perhaps there is a similar data-related problem as: “What is your favorite pharmacy?” waiting for a better story within your organization.
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