In the data landscape, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups. The data engineers who design the Lego blocks and the data scientists who build something extraordinary out of them. These are their stories. DUN DUN! And we’re back! Last time, we went over the toolkit needed to get your foot in the door as a data engineer. You’ve gotten over the first hurdle, but I hope you haven’t fallen prey to the Dunning-Kruger Effect.

Data science is vital to business success. It’s our window into the likes and habits of our customers, creating opportunities to glean insights from the mountains of data we collect every day. Data has always helped businesses with decision-making, but AI is taking it a step further. So much so that today it can even be applied to the practice of creating impressive email subject lines. Machine learning for information management is now a key ally for every organization worldwide.

Imagine you’re driving a car. You can see what’s happening on the road in front of you, but you have no idea what’s going on under the hood. It’s like driving blindly without any gauges or a dashboard to give you vital information. You don’t know how fast you’re going, how much fuel you have left, or if something is about to go wrong. In the same way, data engineers who lack data observability are like drivers with a limited view of the road.

While in the past, businesses used data to gain an edge over their rivals, in today’s competitive environment, data is imperative to stay in business. Modern businesses rely increasingly on data to manage all aspects of their operations, from everyday workflows to impacts on business strategy and customer interactions. As a result, data stacks have become extremely complex.

Deliberations about defining your data approach often revolve around an offensive vs defensive data strategy. Here, an offensive strategy is focused on driving positive outcomes through increased revenues and profitability or by providing an enhanced customer experience. The primary objectives of an offensive data strategy are typically tailored to the product or business side of the organization, prioritizing AI and analytics use cases to drive superior commercial or financial outcomes.

The quality of your data determines how well it supports your business goals within a given context, be it in operations, planning, or decision-making. Low-quality data cannot effectively serve your purpose. Usually, decision-makers rely on data to support their decisions; however, much evidence suggests that poor or uncertain data quality can contribute to ineffective decision-making in practice.