Do you have creative control in your professional role? Are you free to choose where to focus your attention with time to plan, strategise, reinvent and re-implement? If not, then it is likely that you are suffering from a dated and/or poorly defined data strategy.

by Lindsay Rex

Why a data strategy?

Key hallmarks of a poor data strategy are:

• Heavy reliance on external departments, vendors and systems to get data in an ad-hoc fashion.
• No relief from boring, menial tasks that a computer could do.
• Loss in productivity and creativity, limited capability for advanced analysis, benchmark and KPI development as a result.

Data, champion!

The answer to your problem is simple, become a data champion. Data championing does not require a degree in computer science, coding or program knowledge. You just need two things:

• A good idea of what you would like to achieve as an outcome, and
• A sponsor, someone who believes in your plan and has the resources to help.

Once you have an idea and some support you can start thinking about the infrastructure, tools and resources required to realise your vision. We have helped many professionals realise their technology visions and improve their careers by better utilising budgets and resources, and employing tools to enable creativity such as, report automation, rapid testing and auditing, algorithm development, sophisticated KPI and benchmark modeling.

For example:

• Perform one-click energy and utility auditing: to easily spot poor performing assets at a site, building and/or portfolio level.
• Conduct fault detection and diagnostics in real-time (not using historical billing data): to respond to events before damage and loss occurs.
• Performance tracking: on-the-fly energy consumption and sustainability burn-down charts to ensure KPIs are tracked and targets met.
• Data process automation: ensuring consolidated data is available for accounting and reporting, reducing time-to-report with high accuracy, auditing and accountability.
• Advanced capability and control: potential to participate in advanced and disruptive technologies e.g  peak-demand management, demand response, and wholesale energy market programs to name but a few…

Many organisations will find that they can fund their entire digital engineering project, including staff salaries and technology costs, from the savings realised by consolidating data sources and decommissioning legacy systems.

Where to next?

• Do nothing and continue to work in the year 2000, or
• Start thinking like a champion and reap the benefits, rewards and career trajectory that data availability and capability can bring!

Buildings Evolved have been helping individuals and organisations realise their technology vision with outcomes based strategies backed by sound benefit analysis and business case. Find out more by contacting us today.