Are we doing data and analytics correctly? Self service, centralization vs decentralization, analytics vs operations… so many aspects that data teams need to consider.

Join this week’s episode of Catalog & Cocktails with hosts Juan and Tim as they speak with special guest Bethany Lyons to discuss how we should have a separation between data operations an data analytics

Key Takeaways:

[00:10 - 02:36] Meet Bethany Lyons, Chief Proctor Officer at KAWA Analytics
[02:40 - 04:23] What's your favorite board game?
[04:24 - 05:29] Encouraging self-service analytics is why Bethany thinks we are doing data analytics wrong
[05:30 - 08:04] How the self-service analytics problem started
[08:10 - 11:12] How business operators utilize data, and examples with Tableau deployment
[11:13 - 14:09] Tying business logic to an analytics tools and what could go wrong
[14:10 - 15:55] "Is this an analytics request or an operational request?"
[15:55 - 16:35] Changing parameters and asking the right system
[16:35 - 19:35] Evolving from self-service analytics to self-service governance programs
[19:39 - 21:14] Spreadsheet data, security, and incentives
[21:22 - 24:25] Self-service governance, shared accountability paired with great security
[24:26 - 25:50] Data stewards and ownership over business areas
[25:51 - 27:04] Sharing, auditing, and tracking
[27:12 - 28:50] Decentralizing accountability and mindsets when dealing with data
[28:50 - 32:40] How to make the switch to prioritizing decentralizing accountability over who writes SQL queries, and KAWA's role
[32:41 - 35:15] Centralized policy frameworks and definitions
[35:22 - 39:05] Thoughts on self-service operations and the centralization of analytics
[39:06 - 40:52] Critical business logic and Excel spreadsheets
[40:53 - 42:06] Centralizing business logic vs decentralizing business logic
[42:06 - 44:33] Avoiding business logic being owned by one individual, and looking at decision models
[44:33 - 45:45] Critical documents, and the idea of a Google Drive for data
[45:49 - 52:41] Lightning round
[52:42 - 57:26] Takeaways
[57:44 - 01:00:16] Three questions

John Coetzee

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