Comprehensive Data Solutions (CDS)
An effective data solution is a comprehensive solution. This means that no weak areas are permitted to derail full control and usage of a company’s data. Building such a data solution requires experience and skill.
When we open, for example, Google Maps, we are amazed at the speed and volume of data available, and the functionality, such as directions. But we are less likely to consider how the data has been stored so that it can be queried and delivered to the end user so quickly and precisely. That is what good data engineering accomplishes.
Data Engineering is like a power grid. We want the lights to come on when we flip the switch, and only when it fails do we think about it. Yet it is one of the most vital pieces of a country’s infrastructure. Some have stated that the North American power grid is the most complex “machine” ever created in human history. Likewise, a comprehensive data solution takes care of all the important infrastructure, so that most people need not worry about it.
An effective CDS follows a workflow that constantly evolves and grows:
Collection
Collect all your data, reliably and conveniently. It may come from user entry, from IoT sensors, from web services, or elsewhere. Make it easy. Make it complete.
Storage
Store your data so that it can be accessed and queried. Recognize the different types of data, and different kinds of data storage technologies. Vast amounts of data can be queried well if stored properly.
Analysis
Data analysis is key to truly leveraging insights and relevant information. This includes AI and Machine Learning, but also other types of data analysis and data modeling.
Presentation
We collect vast amounts of data today, which is why is more important than ever to present the key, summary data we need to see in an intuitive, smart and useful data visualization. A company’s lifeblood flows out of good data usage and interpretation.
