Clearly the Data Scientist is the hottest job in the market. According the Harvard Business Review it is the hottest job of the 21st century http://hbr.org/2012/10/data-scientist-the-sexiest-job-of-the-21st-century/. capioIT has written about the need for multi-dimensional skills in the Data Scientist - In March I wrote A good data scientist may have a PhD. A great one offers a lot more. http://wp.me/p15cZf-5A.
However, it struck me this week that the technology and business environments surrounding BI, Analytics and of course Big Data, can create the perspective that the entire world and aura of the data scientist is simply wrong from both an organisational priority and execution point of view. The data scientist should not have to be a super part robot part human employee. This is a completely conflicted requirement when considering the hoped/hyped business potential of data and analytics.
I have long been a proponent for any initiative and R&D that drives the democratisation of Analytics and BI through the depth of the organisation. The more user friendly and efficient tools become the more likely that the right people will have the right tools and data in their hands to create Eureka moments for their business or organisation.
As a result BI and analytics vendors need to be dramatically more focused on allowing the breadth and depth of tools to be used by all. (I want to make it clear, I am not saying that this is just visualisation, pretty pictures whilst critical, are far from the entire story, data quality and governance processes are just as important for the democratisation of analytics).
Another perspective is to consider this. Did “The Business” create the data scientist or did technology limitations create it. I suspect that for most it is the latter, again proof of the disconnect between business and technology.
The organisation needs to shift the Data Scientist from an elite team to the largest number of employees possible. That way it will truly be maximising business outcomes and decision making. Surely this is a worthy goal that needs more focus.
