A journey to Trusted Data Management

In a previous blog, we shared with you some of the incredible benefits of taking an organisation-wide view of data management to enable a new level of organisational intelligence.

We had such a great response that we want to delve deeper into Trusted Data Management (TDM), and essentially provide a “map” on how we achieve this for our clients.

Digital transformation can be quite a complex and daunting task for many organisations, because it often involves replacing or augmenting systems and processes that have been in place for many years (sometimes decades).

In addition to making sure everything goes smoothly from a technical perspective, there also needs to be a solid plan of attack for inspiring a shift in workplace culture to ensure adoption.

This is why Solnet provides an end-to-end service – from consultation and strategy to implementation, change management and managed services. For data-driven digital transformation to work, it’s essential to have a trusted partner who can stay with you throughout the journey, helping to minimise disruption to business as usual (BAU) and give you the best chance of success.

Where do you want to be?

Our journey to TDM begins with consultation and discovery, because we can’t help you get somewhere until it’s clear where you want to go!

This doesn’t need to be an exact location (eg. Bali) – it can be a description of the features you want to see when you get there (beaches, relaxation, cocktails, huts, etc.). You don’t need to be able to say “We want an iPaaS system that incorporates machine learning so that we have access to all the latest data analytics capabilities.” Instead, you could just say “Something that integrates with our current system, captures and standardises all our data, and then provides us relevant and really cool reports”.

This description of the “goal state” allows us to develop a picture of what you want to be able to do, and the path we need to take to get you there.

If you have no idea of what’s possible, that’s OK too. Our consultants can evaluate current ways of working and make recommendations on how to leverage solutions to streamline processes, improve productivity, save time and money, and more.

The initial discovery phase also helps us get an idea of legacy systems that must stay, and whether we can integrate new tech’ with those systems to augment their capabilities.

A strategy for data-driven transformation

Once we know where we’re headed, we can engage with key stakeholders and create a strategy that ultimately:

• minimises disruption to staff and customers
• gets us to the “goal-state” faster and more efficiently
• achieves targets on time and on budget.

A clear strategy also provides a roadmap that can be socialised with others to improve buy-in, and build more advocates for change (who can be very valuable during implementation!).

At Solnet, we always take a “people first” approach. So at this stage, we often look at a ‘day in the life’ of a user to discover what their day looks like now, versus what their day should look like once the transformation is complete (goal state).

Implementation

We have partnered with the best in Trusted Data Management solutions – Informatica. Informatica’s diverse and cutting-edge suite of products allows us to address our clients’ unique challenges and goals in an integrated, practical and flexible way.

Their platforms are also highly intuitive, which is essential to achieving a great user experience and adoption.

During the implementation phase, our technical experts work directly with Informatica’s experts to deliver a fit-for-purpose solution that meets (and often exceeds) the requirements needed to achieve the goal state.

The solution may include a data lake, data catalog, big data streaming, cloud connections, data integration, data governance and so on, to deliver outcomes such as:

• operational excellence and automated workflows
• improved customer interactions and experience
• data visualisation and storytelling
• compliance, operational and performance reporting
• advanced analytics
• secure and “privacy by design” data storage
• auditability
• customer engagement tools.

Though it can be stressful at times, the implementation phase is often the most exciting – and we love seeing people’s faces as the new capabilities roll out and the vision starts to become a reality!

Post-implementation support

All change requires some degree of “getting used to”, so we stick by our clients during this period to smooth out any wrinkles and provide any necessary training and support.

We can do this for a set period of time, or ongoing as part of a managed services agreement to ensure you and your staff are comfortable as you begin adapting to a new way of working.

Although there will always be a few who resist change, we usually find that most people are so excited by the new features and ability to do things faster and more efficiently, that they enjoy every opportunity to use the new system.

If there are any issues, both Solnet and Informatica will be there to address them.

And once everything is up and running as it should be, you may have new ideas on other innovations that can be implemented in your digital environment – which we’re always more than happy to help you deliver and support!

To learn more about Trusted Data Management with Solnet, or to get started, please contact Milutin Rmandic.

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We kicked off this article series by looking at the big picture. Check out "A whole new level of organisational intelligence … at your fingertips" for insights into what your organisation can achieve with trusted data.