In the first article in this series, we discussed the challenges that Big Data innovation poses to the experienced Business Intelligence/Data Warehousing architect, and we looked at a group of skills that you can cultivate to increase your value on Big Data projects at your company. In our article, we concluded with the skills you likely already have and must leverage in order to bring the full potential of your contribution to bear on one of the most novel and innovative data challenges your company is facing.

Skills to Leverage:

• Data architecture: Even in MapReduce and Hadoop architectures, data must still be organised. And though you might not yet know the specifics of how to organise data best in Big Data platforms and projects, the science of gathering valuable data, transforming, organising, and presenting it are still part of your core skillset. You might have to learn some of the intricacies of how it’s done in the new architecture, but you have familiarity with the basic concepts that comprise effective data architecture and the common pitfalls that can befall poorly-planned implementations.
• Integration:  No tool works in a vacuum – they each require real data from your company’s systems in order to provide value and drive effective decision-making. Accomplishing that at any company involves integrating them with existing systems, whether they are OLTP systems or fully-fledged data warehouse solutions with multiple ODS’s sprouting off them. Your bread-and-butter for years has been systems integration work, and you know how to accomplish this in your company. You may not be aware precisely what data is needed and what form it needs to be in for the new Big Data appliance or toolset to consume it, but it would be the same challenge for you if it were just another BI tool that needed fresh data feeds from existing systems. You know just how to do this!
• Your own organisation: Don’t overlook the incredible wealth of value you have in your “tribal knowledge” – your hard-won institutional awareness of where the data is, where it comes from, and how it’s changed and prepared. Moreover, don’t forget the kind of knowledge that no outside consultant can possibly replicate: the network of business connections with data owners, stakeholders, activators, facilitators, and helpers throughout your company and your IT organisation. These are the folks who will remove roadblocks, solve political challenges, line up support, and stay late and work weekends to ensure the project’s success, and who may even want a say in the design and implementation because they will be the ones sustaining it after the consultants are all paid and have flown away.

The bottom line is that Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing architects have tremendous opportunities to contribute significantly to any company’s Big Data project. And while probably no company will attempt a Big Data implementation without any outside help whatsoever, as a savvy BI/DW architect, you can ensure your place as a prominent contributor to the project’s success by adding some specific new skills and leaning heavily on your acquired career expertise.

DataHub Writer: Douglas R. Briggs
“Mr. Briggs has been active in the fields of Data Warehousing and Business Intelligence for the entirety of his 17-year career. He was responsible for the early adoption and promulgation of BI at one of the world’s largest consumer product companies and developed their initial BI competency center. He has consulted with numerous other companies and is regard to effective BI practices. He holds a Master of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Williams College (Mass).
View Linkedin Profile->
Other Articles by Douglas->

In the first article in this series, we discussed the challenges that Big Data innovation poses to the experienced Business Intelligence/Data Warehousing architect, and we looked at a group of skills that you can cultivate to increase your value on Big Data projects at your company. In our article, we concluded with the skills you likely already have and must leverage in order to bring the full potential of your contribution to bear on one of the most novel and innovative data challenges your company is facing.

Skills to Leverage:

• Data architecture: Even in MapReduce and Hadoop architectures, data must still be organised. And though you might not yet know the specifics of how to organise data best in Big Data platforms and projects, the science of gathering valuable data, transforming, organising, and presenting it are still part of your core skillset. You might have to learn some of the intricacies of how it’s done in the new architecture, but you have familiarity with the basic concepts that comprise effective data architecture and the common pitfalls that can befall poorly-planned implementations.
• Integration:  No tool works in a vacuum – they each require real data from your company’s systems in order to provide value and drive effective decision-making. Accomplishing that at any company involves integrating them with existing systems, whether they are OLTP systems or fully-fledged data warehouse solutions with multiple ODS’s sprouting off them. Your bread-and-butter for years has been systems integration work, and you know how to accomplish this in your company. You may not be aware precisely what data is needed and what form it needs to be in for the new Big Data appliance or toolset to consume it, but it would be the same challenge for you if it were just another BI tool that needed fresh data feeds from existing systems. You know just how to do this!
• Your own organisation: Don’t overlook the incredible wealth of value you have in your “tribal knowledge” – your hard-won institutional awareness of where the data is, where it comes from, and how it’s changed and prepared. Moreover, don’t forget the kind of knowledge that no outside consultant can possibly replicate: the network of business connections with data owners, stakeholders, activators, facilitators, and helpers throughout your company and your IT organisation. These are the folks who will remove roadblocks, solve political challenges, line up support, and stay late and work weekends to ensure the project’s success, and who may even want a say in the design and implementation because they will be the ones sustaining it after the consultants are all paid and have flown away.

The bottom line is that Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing architects have tremendous opportunities to contribute significantly to any company’s Big Data project. And while probably no company will attempt a Big Data implementation without any outside help whatsoever, as a savvy BI/DW architect, you can ensure your place as a prominent contributor to the project’s success by adding some specific new skills and leaning heavily on your acquired career expertise.

DataHub Writer: Douglas R. Briggs
“Mr. Briggs has been active in the fields of Data Warehousing and Business Intelligence for the entirety of his 17-year career. He was responsible for the early adoption and promulgation of BI at one of the world’s largest consumer product companies and developed their initial BI competency center. He has consulted with numerous other companies and is regard to effective BI practices. He holds a Master of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Williams College (Mass).
View Linkedin Profile->
Other Articles by Douglas->