The Discipline of Data: What Non-Technical Executives Don't Know About Data and Why It's Urgent They Find Out

Pulling aside the curtain of ‘Big Data’ buzz, this book introduces C-suite and other non-technical senior leaders to the essentials of obtaining and maintaining accurate, reliable data, especially for decision-making purposes. Bad data begets bad decisions, and an understanding of data fundamentals ― how data is generated, organized, stored, evaluated, and maintained ― has never been more important when solving problems such as the pandemic-related supply chain crisis. This book addresses the data-related challenges that businesses face, answering questions such as:

• What are the characteristics of high-quality data?

• How do you get from bad data to good data?

• What procedures and practices ensure high-quality data?

• How do you know whether your data supports the decisions you need to make?

This clear and valuable resource will appeal to C-suite executives and top-line managers across industries, as well as business analysts at all career stages and data analytics students.