Don't Panic! It's Just Data – Details, episodes & analysis

"There's been a lot of wrangling of data, a lot of wrangling of humans as well, which is a big theme for today," says Warwick Leitch, Product Management Director at insightsoftware.

In this episode of the 'Don't Panic, It's Just Data' podcast, Debbie Reynolds, CEO and Chief Data Privacy Officer at Debbie Reynolds Consulting LLC, speaks with Leitch from insightsoftware. They discuss the vital role of financial strategy and collaborative planning, particularly as it pertains to the decisions made by IT executives.

The question they address is: In a world awash with data, how do we transform it into actionable insights? Warwick shares his wealth of experience, offering practical advice and illuminating the path to successful budgeting and forecasting.

One such challenge addressed in the podcast is how organisations are securing executive buy-in. "And 51 percent of people find it difficult to engage senior executives to buy into the process, which is a roadblock. And 57 percent of organisations struggle cross-functionally," Warwick reveals. 

It's not just about the numbers. Warwick also emphasises the human element, reminding us that "Without people, we don't have anything." In an era where AI looms large, it's crucial to remember that technology serves to enhance, not replace, human collaboration.

Tune in to the podcast and learn how to navigate the complexities of financial strategy and collaborative planning.

Takeaways

• Executive buy-in is crucial for successful budgeting.
• A clear vision helps guide the budgeting process.
• Thoughtful execution is key to effective planning.
• Fostering a culture of collaboration enhances participation.
• Data accuracy is vital in today's fast-paced environment.
• Avoid overcomplicating the budgeting process.
• Gamification can improve engagement in budgeting.
• AI can significantly streamline forecasting and reporting.
• Regularly updating forecasts leads to better accuracy.
• Understanding business measures is essential for effective planning.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Collaborative Financial Planning

05:01 The Importance of Executive Buy-In

10:09 Thoughtful Execution in Budgeting

15:01 Fostering a Culture of Collaboration

19:48 Defining Business Measures and Data Accuracy

24:52 Common Pitfalls in Collaborative Budgeting

29:52 The Future of Collaborative Planning with AI

The digital age is fueled by data, and the engines powering that data are data centres. However, this growth comes at a significant energy cost. In the latest episode of the EM360Tech Don’t Panic It’s Just Data podcast, Shubhangi Dua speaks with Rolf Bienert, Technical & Managing Director of the OpenADR Alliance, to shed light on the urgent need for sustainable energy practices within the data centres industry. 

In this episode, we discuss the stark reality of escalating energy consumption, driven by factors like the rise of AI, and the critical importance of moving beyond superficial "green" initiatives to implement genuine, impactful solutions.

From talking about the historical context of data centres energy usage, the evolution of energy demands and the challenges of achieving net-zero goals, Rolf provides valuable insights into innovative solutions such as smart grids, microgrids, and virtual power plants. These hold immense potential for managing energy distribution efficiently and sustainably. 

Beyond technological solutions, the podcast addresses the critical role of regulatory frameworks and industry standards in fostering sustainable practices. The frameworks are necessary to adapt to modern energy consumption patterns, ensuring interoperability and reducing costs. It spotlights the importance of collaboration between IT and utility sectors, as well as open communication with the public, to address concerns about energy consumption and build trust. 

Takeaways

• Data centres are increasingly becoming significant consumers of energy.
• Sustainability in data centre is often perceived as branding rather than genuine effort.
• AI's demand for processing power is escalating energy needs.
• Smart grids are essential for managing energy distribution effectively.
• Microgrids and virtual power plants offer promising solutions for energy sustainability.
• Enterprises can leverage renewable energy to become energy providers.
• Regulatory frameworks need to adapt to modern energy consumption patterns.
• Standards are crucial for ensuring interoperability and reducing costs.
• Collaboration between IT and utility sectors is vital for sustainable energy management.
• Open communication is key to addressing public concerns about energy consumption.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Data Centres Sustainability

03:22 Historical Perspective on Data centres Energy Consumption

08:32 The Role of Smart Grids in Energy Management

12:40 Understanding Microgrids and Virtual Power Plants

21:30 Enterprise Strategies for Sustainable Data Centres

29:51 Regulatory Challenges and Opportunities

32:34 The Importance of Standards in Data Centres Growth

In this episode, Rachel Thornton, Fivetran's CMO, discusses the highlights of Big Data London 2024, including the launch of Fivetran Hybrid Deployment, which addresses the needs of organisations with mixed IT environments.

The conversation delves into integrating AI into business operations, emphasizing the importance of a robust data foundation. Additionally, data security and compliance challenges in the context of GDPR and other regulations are explored. The episode concludes with insights on the benefits of hybrid deployment for organisations.

Key Takeaways: 

• Big Data London 2024 is a significant event for data leaders.
• Fivetran Hybrid Deployment caters to organizations with mixed IT environments.
• AI integration requires a strong data foundation.
• Data security and compliance are critical in today's landscape.
• Organizations must understand their data sources for effective AI use.
• Hybrid deployment allows for secure data management.
• Compliance regulations are becoming increasingly stringent. 
• Data readiness is essential for AI integration.

Chapters: 

00:00 - Introduction to Big Data London 2024

02:46 - Launch of Fibntran Hybrid Deployment

06:06 - Integrating AI into Business Operations

08:54 - Data Security and Compliance Challenges

11:50 - Benefits of Hybrid Deployment

Episode 4 of our 12 part series with Cloudera.

In this podcast, Simon Elliston Ball, Director Product Management, Streaming Analytics, and Cyber ML at Cloudera explain why real-time streaming has become so important. Simon starts by talking about the role real-time data streaming plays in encouraging digitally driven innovation. Also, he explains the types of data structures organisations need as well as how this differs from traditional data practices. Finally, Simon discusses the potential that ML brings to real-time data streaming and the considerations for compliance and governance.

Next week's episode: Cloud Native Data Warehouse

Make sure you're subscribed so that you don't miss an episode of this fantastic series.

Episode 3 is here as part of our 12 part series with Cloudera.

In this podcast, Jan Kunigk, CTO EMEA, shares his architectural knowledge of hybrid and multi-cloud deployments for data and analytics. Jan starts by talking about the considerations needed when making the choice between hybrid and multi-cloud. Also, he explains the different architecture and deployment styles for both options. Further to this, he outlines the cost difference and what analytic opportunities they present. Finally, Jan discusses the role CEOs should play in making cloud decisions and how involved they should be in the process.

Next week's episode: Data in Overdrive

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It's episode 2 of this fantastic 12 part series with Cloudera.

In this podcast, Scott Taylor speaks to Abhas Ricky, Managing Director, Global Head – Strategy & Transformation at Cloudera. Abhas starts by talking about why people implement the cloud and how enterprises can have a better understanding of the costs involved. Secondly, he explains how organisations should define their total cost of ownership model. Also, Abhas explains how ephemeral workloads can be beneficial and the differences between analytical and operational workloads. Finally, he outlines where the complications and nuances come in around the cost of data and analytics.

Next week's episode: Critical Technology Decisions for Cloud

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Welcome to season 5! This new and exciting series from Cloudera will take us on a journey across all things cloud and data over the next 12 weeks.

In this podcast, Scott Taylor speaks to Paul Mackay, EMEA Cloud Lead at Cloudera. Firstly, Paul outlines what an enterprise data cloud is and how to assess the need for a cloud initiative effectively. Next, he details how organisations make the right choices to leverage cloud correctly and the data management implications. Finally, Paul explains the importance of enterprise-class security and governance.

Next week's episode: Optimise the Cost of Data and Analytics with Hybrid Cloud

Make sure you're subscribed so that you don't miss an episode of this fantastic series.

Hybrid working has become a common talking point of many organisations in the last year as the increase of remote working has transformed several industries. As one might expect, a change in our work culture drastically changes the demands of our workers, meaning that more skilled professionals are required to handle independent working. The problem is that in its current state, the UK is underprepared for this paradigm shift; according to Coursera's Global Skills Report, the UK has the lowest proficiency for business skills in Europe, ranking only at a 29% proficiency. 

There is hope for the UK yet; since the pandemic, 24% more women and 32% more unemployed people have enrolled for STEM courses in the UK. This would help to fix the gender gap in STEM, a current concern for many businesses, and it will also help to increase our number of skilled professionals that can perform in the private sector.

In this Data Transforming Business podcast, EM360 Head of Content Max Kurton speaks to Anthony Tattersall, VP of EMA at Coursera. Throughout the discussion, Anthony guides us through some of the most popular courses in the UK, the business skills that are trending the most in the UK and the action needed to help fix the skills gaps within enterprise technology.

While organisations are gradually becoming more data-driven, there are still organisations that rely solely on instinct. According to Talend's 2021 Data Health Survey, a whopping 36% of executives are still making gut based decisions, a method which has proved time and time again to be both inefficient and unpredictable. One of the contributing factors to gut based decision making is a lack of trust in data. Data quality varies from industry to industry but within single organisations, it can also vary from person to person. In fact, 38% of data users state that there are no data quality standards in place in their organisation, so why would executives trust data to make decisions?

The key to becoming data-driven means ensuring that everyone, from the data-producer to the data-user, is involved in the data lifecycle. This means decentralising data processes to ensure that every member of the team both has a transparent understanding of how data is being used but also feels equally involved in the process. In this episode of Data Transforming Business, we speak to Antony Elliott, Regional VP of Enterprise Sales for EMEA North, Talend about the best ways to maintain healthy data in data-driven organisations.

While it has taken the lead position in infrastructure management, managing data on Kubernetes is a complex subject for many in the industry. Matching users expectations for container-orchestration systems against the needs they have for their databases have unveiled a multitude of unexpected issues.

In recent years, storing data within Kubernetes has become more and more common. However, users are still experiencing the same issues. In this new episode of Data Transforming Business, we speak to Datastax’s VP of Developer Relations Patrick McFadin about solving the problems affiliated with data on Kubernetes and what you need to do in order to have a secure database.