Surviving – and thriving – on the data frontier

How you can strategize and craft a solid data architecture to lead and succeed in a data-centric future 

The sheer amount of data that is being processed today is pressing organizations to adapt and adopt new technologies that can handle real-time workloads and machine learning applications. The world is evolving at a frantic pace – and data is driving this rapid evolution. Many now liken data to digital oil – and the “data rush” into this space has opened many opportunities as organizations redesign their data architectures to stay relevant and lead their markets going forward.  

In my previous post, we looked at why taking a deep dive into your data and a comprehensive maturity assessment are critical in outperforming your market. Now, we’ll be going further and looking at how you can take action, strategize, and craft the future state of your data architecture. This is essential in effectively addressing your main data challenges today – and how you will successfully handle and adapt to the data workloads of tomorrow. Here are some common themes you should consider when developing your future data architecture solutions: 

• Separate and understand your systems of engagements and channels – and relay this information through the appropriate databases and APIs for each one 
• Maintain a consolidated data lake layer with a curated data vault for analytics and reporting. You’ll want to separate the raw and curated data, as they usually service different business functions – for example – R&D, development, and production 
• Migrate and incorporate cloud processing for your core data services and integrating real-time channels for analytics using queues.  

Taking action, strategizing, and crafting the future state of your data architecture – How can Capgemini help you? 

Our enterprise data architecture services help clients develop blueprints and architectural runways that define the structure and operations of their organizations. Our intent here is to determine how your company can most effectively achieve its current and future business and technology objectives – while simultaneously shepherding innovative methods, processes, and technologies into your organization’s landscape.  

When evaluating enterprise data architecture services providers, it’s essential to seek out a partner who can seamlessly integrate with your business from end to end. At Capgemini, enterprise data architecture services comprise an overarching strategy and visioning, complete current state assessment, target state definition, delivery assurance, planning and budgeting, and operating model assessment and definition: 

Strategy and visioning 

We begin by helping you define the required and appropriate business and technology transformation roadmap – and the requisite strategic and tactical initiatives. We also assist in creating a governance model to marshal the realization of your envisioned transformation. 

Current state assessment 

Here, we review your current business and technology environment and seek out areas of opportunity and improvement. This review is based on a fit-gap analysis of your current capabilities and systems – with a plan for attaining your desired business and technology transformation. 

Target state definition 

Next, we define your ultimate target state for your business and technology architecture environment, along with the various interim architecture configurations required to attain your preferred state. We utilize various internal and external reference models for acceleration here. 

Delivery assurance 

As an extension of target state definition and planning services, we provide advisory services to in-flight programs and projects – or post-facto review of delivered work. These services are focused on realizing the requisite business value/outcome and the solution requirements (including approved architecture standards). 

Planning and budgeting 

In planning and budgeting, our focus is on the likelihood of attaining the envisioned solution design based on planned and/or inflight efforts. This includes identifying any required mitigation tactics to increase the chances of successful solution realization. 

Operating model assessment and definition 

Here, we provide an assessment, analysis, and definition service to internal and external parties. We guide the design and implementation of an appropriate operating model with relevant monitoring mechanisms that rely on strategic and tactical performance indicators. 

Bringing everything together with architecture capability development and integrated dashboards 

As a service to internal and external parties, architecture capability development begins with defining an appropriate architecture capability for your business utilizing Capgemini’s EA Capability Framework. Our EA Capability Framework encompasses a full maturity assessment of your existing situation and the crafting of an engagement model, along with defining a transition roadmap for establishing and improving your architecture capabilities. 

Dashboards that consume data from multiple sources are a good way to connect and retrieve insights at the enterprise level – and connect your disparate data environment into a unified data and analytics core. Various applications like PowerBI and Tableau can be used to generate business intelligence reports, which incorporate automated refreshes of underlying data sources.  

In utilizing Capgemini’s EA Capability Framework and our ADMnext^Data offering, we recently engaged with a client to build an executive reporting suite using PowerBI to track and monitor network infrastructure at their plasma centers across all of North America. 

With ADMnext^Data, we have the capacity to build plug-and-play dashboards that integrate with your existing technology stacks. While we also work with you to develop an MVP data architecture with a unified reporting framework and dashboard application. To learn what ADMnext^Data can do for your business – and how you can take action to strategize and craft the ideal future state of your data architecture, drop me a line below.