The crucial role data plays in a successful BI/analytics project

This year's Business Intelligence & Analytics Summit 2019, taking place in just three weeks, has a much broader focus than in previous years, which reflects the fast-moving and changing face of BI and analytics.

The two-day event features four tracks focusing on the wider aspects of a BI and analytics implementation strategy, of which two concentrate exclusively on data.

As we all know, an organisation's data is fast becoming its USP and can be what sets it apart from its competitors. However, if the data isn't clean, isn't managed properly or can't be accessed in real-time, then meaningful insights can't be extracted and any competitive advantage an organisation might have had is lost.

The first afternoon of the summit will therefore focus on data strategy, preparation and governance, and will take a strategic look at how to become a data-driven organisation. This track features four end-users who will discusstheir specific experiences of implementing a data strategy. Michael Bell, GM: BI & Analytics at MTN, will explain the operator's journey to a big data platform. Jan Thomas, Chief Data, Design & Predictive Analytics Officer at ask-jean, will focus on how to prepare data to ensure the success of your BI/analytics project. Adel Evert, Data Governance Manager at Capitec Bank, and Maritza Curry, Strategic BI Consultant at PBT Group, will reveal the fundamental elements of a successful data governance programme. Finally, Samuel De Swardt, Senior Data Modeller & Data/BI Architect at Stanlib, will explain how to design a framework for modern data management.

The afternoon of day two will delve deeper into the technical aspects of managing data and will focus on data architecture, warehousing and modelling. Data expert Barry Devlin will run a 90-minute masterclass focusing on how to modernise your data architecture to deliver information more quickly to the business. Evan Barke, a Senior Consultant at Keyrus, will discuss how to overcome the challenges of migrating to a modern data warehousing architecture. Finally, Howard Diesel, an Information Governance Advisor and Mentor at the South African Reserve Bank and President of the Data Administration Management Association (DAMA SA), will reveal how to create a business-centric data model to visualise and standardise your information.

More information on these tracks and the rest of the programme can be found here. ITWeb's BI & Analytics Summit takes place on 12-14 March 2019 at the Forum, Bryanston.