by Jerod Johnson | March 15, 2024

Key Takeaways from Gartner Data & Analytics Summit: Orlando

Let me start by encouraging organizations to hold more conferences on the East coast of the United States! All joking aside, this was my first Gartner show and I'm glad that I had the opportunity to attend the Gartner Data & Analytics Conference in Orlando, Florida. Beyond the ease of travel, I learned a lot about the state of the data and analytics ecosystem.

Here are my key takeaways:

We are facing the next step in collective intelligence

During the opening keynote, we had the pleasure of hearing from Debra Logan, Gartner Distinguished VP Analyst, and Ehtisham Zaidi, Gartner VP Analyst & KI Leader, as they shared key insights on data, analytics, and (not surprisingly) artificial intelligence (AI). They opened by defining and discussing the importance of collective intelligence.

According to Logan, collective intelligence is the communication, collaboration, and coordinated problem solving needed for us to survive, create, and thrive. Logan referenced the collective intelligence of herds, flocks, pods, and packs, but noted that humans operate with collective intelligence as well, working together towards common goals. Thanks to generative AI, we are entering a new era of collective intelligence, combining human and machine intelligence for the benefit of all and ultimately "generating value together."

Don't let perfect be the enemy of good

During the keynote, we also got to hear from Eric Donkoh, CDAO, The Bermuda Monetary Authority, about his organization's data strategy and functions. His most remarkable comment was on how organizations can avoid an "ever-strategizing loop," where leaders spend more time designing strategy instead of acting. He encouraged organizations to let go of fears of failure in strategy design in favor or actually taking action. Following his presentation, Logan and Zaidi noted that organizations that take action see greater success than those that spend all their time on building strategy.

Organizations need quality data products

We've talked before about data products, and Logan and Zaidi brought up the importance building quality data products to find value from their data. Data products need to be:

• Findable & consumption ready: Key stakeholders need to be able to exactly the data they need in the format they need. Without accessible data, data scientists and analysts struggle to find value and insights from data.
• Kept up to date: Organizations need fresh data to gain a full understanding of where they are. Combining up-to-date data with historical data allows organizations to make accurate predictions about the next best steps.
• Governed for appropriate usage: A hallmark of a strong data strategy is strong governance. Making sure that the right users have access to the right data (and only the right data) ensures organizations keep critical data secure and meet compliance and regulations.

The CData connectivity platform is one way to build quality data products. CData Connect Cloud provides live access to data from a single location, with user-based permissions built into the source-specific connections, meeting all three of the recommendations. When paired with CData Sync, organizations can add historical data to their data products, ensuring a complete picture of the organization.

In short, Gartner analysts suggest that modern organizations:

• Embrace collective intelligence, whether that's working with your coworkers, AI, or both.
• When it comes to building business strategy, make sure you're spending enough time taking action and don't be afraid to fail.
• Organizations need quality data products, but what those look like vary from live data to historical data to any combination of the two.

If you'll be at Gartner Data & Analytics Summit: London, we hope to see you there! If you aren't a part of the CData Community, join today to continue (or start!) your data journey.